


I'm Here

by saturnice



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Gavin Reed, M/M, RK900 is called Ark, Slow Burn, i tried to be original okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-06-07 01:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15208322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturnice/pseuds/saturnice
Summary: After Markus' revolution, androids are slowly gaining their rights. More and more deviants are popping up and Cyberlife is adjusting to the new change, and the Detroit Police Department is willing to help – all officers are being assigned an android companion to show the public they're trustworthy and reliable. While most are open to the change, a certain detective is having a bit of trouble adjusting to his new partner.Or, RK900 is assigned to Detective Gavin Reed, who just wants things to go back to the way they were.





	1. Too Hungover for This

Gavin found himself opening his sixth beer of the night as he collapsed on his couch, barely affected by the large amount of alcohol he was consuming. He dreaded the thought of walking into the station the next day. His email was filled with unopened emails from Fowler and other detectives, but he doubted they were urgent — if it was that important, they'd either call him or tell him face to face. Barely paying attention, he began flipping through the channels on his TV.

He stopped at his local news station.

"The founder of Cyberlife, Elijah Kamski, states the new production of androids will give them more free will," a news reporter stated. He groaned.

"We can't program androids to deviate right away," Kamski stated. "They have to learn to do that themselves, they have to learn how to feel emotions. It's either that, or another deviant turns them, but we've found it more of an experience when an android learns to do it on their own. What we've decided to do is to construct our androids with less instructions and code, but otherwise continue with our previous blueprints. Then, we have them spend some time with either a family who is willing to foster an android or at their new workplace, where they soon figure out how to feel human emotions. In short, we've thinned out the layer of security between androids following the directions of humans and doing whatever they please, which makes it ten times easier for them to deviate."

The news reporter smiled and nodded. "I have to say, Mr. Kamski, that really is—" Gavin shut off the TV. He sighed and laid back onto his couch, closing his eyes. He could practically feel the hangover he'd have the next day. 

"Fuckin' androids," he mumbled. 

\---

Walking into work the next morning felt like hell. 

He barely registered Connor's bright greeting and Hank's glare when he didn't respond. Even if he never actually managed a "hello" back, he usually at least grunted or lazily waved a hand. "I wonder if he's okay. His tolerance levels are particularly low today," he heard the android comment.

"Don't worry about it, kid," Hank replied. "He must be really out of it to have not noticed it yet." The fuck? Notice what? The only thing Gavin was awake enough to see through his blurry vision was the "#1 Dad" mug sitting on Hank's desk. He stared at it, trying to figure out what made it so damn annoying. Hank waved a hand in front of his face. "Reed! Wake up, would you?"

Gavin jumped, smacking the hand away. "Fuck off, grandpa!" he said, scowling. 

Scoffing, Hank said, "The hell's with you?"

"I'm fine, screw off." Shrugging with a smirk on his lips, Hank made his way back to Connor with a smug look.

"Suit yourself."

Still not understanding what the Lieutenant meant, Gavin turned his chair towards his desk, logging into his computer. He pulled up the case he was working on and carelessly reviewed the details he had looked over dozens of times before. No matter what he did, no matter turn he took, he always seemed to reach a dead end. It ate at him. His eyes burned as he insistently stared at the screen, still blurry and unfocused. His head pounded — Gavin forced his eyes to stay open. 

Just as he was sure he was going to pass out, a strong hand laid on his shoulder. "Good morning, Detective Reed," a strangely familiar voice greeted. "I'm RK900, your new partner. I—"

"What the _fuck?_ " Gavin yelled, jumping out of his seat and whipping around. He blinked. " _Connor?_ What the—? What do you want?"

Someone cleared their throat. Gavin glanced past the stranger's shoulder, met by Connor's perked eyebrow. "Detective, are you alright?" 

"I'm gonna be sick — there's two of you?! The hell is this shit?" 

"I'm RK900, your new partner," the android repeated. "I hope we'll learn to cooperate and work well together." Gavin turned and looked over at everyone else's desks, horrified to see newcomers everywhere, all having matching LEDs. Looking back at the new android, he saw that, yes, he was nearly identical to Connor. His striking grey-blue eyes and taller stance made him different from his older model — not to mention his voice was a few octaves deeper and his uniform had a different design.

Gavin heard Hank snort. "Look who finally opened his eyes," he remarked. "Did you have a nice nap, Gavin?" Ignoring the older man, the detective's scowl deepened as he stormed towards Fowler's office. To his infuriation, his newly assigned partner decided to follow. 

"Fowler!" he shouted, barging into his office. "What the fuck? Since when were androids taking over the entire damn department?"

Sighing, Fowler looked up from his papers. "I sent an email out a _week_ ago, Reed," he stated. "I can't say I'm surprised you didn't open it."

Gavin shook his head. "No, no fuckin' way am I working with this asshole."

"If I may interject, Detective Reed—" the android started.

"Shut the hell up, would you!" Gavin ordered. "Christ, you're already giving me a damn headache." Confused, the RK900 tilted his head slightly before backing away.

Fowler looked back down at his papers. "Cyberlife gave us some newly produced androids that still need to deviate. They want the public to see them and _not_ shit their pants, so they're relying on us to earn the people's trust. Do you understand?"

Scoffing, Gavin walked up and leaned over the desk. "I am _not_ fucking working with this prick. I can work by myself."

Standing up and crossing his arms, Fowler snorted. "Yeah, right — the fact that you've been stuck on that case for two weeks definitely proves that." Gavin opened his mouth opened his mouth to retort, but was quickly cut off. "You better quit your bitching and adjust quickly, Reed," he said sternly. "There's no returning these things and he's your responsibility now."

"What, so it's a damn pet? Do I have to take it on walks, too?" 

"I am not an 'it', Detective," RK900 replied, his voice defensive. His LED flashed from yellow to red in a split second before returning to blue. "I can assure you I am a male of my 'species'. I am equipped with male genitalia and—"

"Could you cut the shit, you fucking—"

"Alright, that's enough!" Fowler yelled. "Both of you, get out of my office. Reed, I expect that case to be solved by the end of this week or else I'm handing it over to Hank and Connor, got it?" Pausing, he added, "And give him a name, will you?"

Not responding, Gavin angrily left the room, his partner trailing behind him. He sat in his chair and swiveled around, facing away from the android. RK900 simply sat at the desk across from his. "The fuck do you want?" he snapped.

"Captain Fowler suggested that you give me a name," he said simply. "Would you like to assign me one?" 

"Yeah, how about 'Dickhead'?" 

LED flashing yellow, the android looked at Gavin with confusion filling his eyes. "Are you sure you would like to assign me that particular word?"

Laughing humorlessly, the detective replied, "What about Fuckface? Or Prick? Or—"

"Knock it off, would you?" Hank called from his desk. "He's your partner, give him a decent name."

Sighing in annoyance, Gavin turned back to his partner. He looked back expectantly, a disgusting innocence in his eyes. "Fine," he said. "You said you're an RK900, right?" 

"That is correct."

He thought for a moment. "Alright. Your name is Ark, got it, dipshit?" He closed his eyes. 

After a few moments of his LED swirling and switching from yellow to blue, the RK900 opened them and said, "My name is Ark."

Hank walked over. "Really? 'Ark'? Couldn't you have thought about it a bit more?"

"My android, my preferences," Gavin retorted. Connor followed behind the Lieutenant and smiled at the other android. Ark attempted a smile but only ended up giving an awkward flash of his teeth. The older model laughed lightly, followed by Ark’s confused look.

"We'll work on it," Connor said, patting Ark's shoulder. "If you ever need help figuring something out, don't hesitate to ask either me or Hank." He looked over at Gavin. "Or your partner, for what it's worth. He'll warm up to you."

"Like hell I will," Gavin mumbled to himself. He returned his attention to his computer and let out a long breath. He jumped when Ark's head unexpectedly butted in to examine the screen. "For fuck's sake, asshat! Stay out of my way, alright? I'll figure this out myself." Ark didn't budge. "You hear me?" Only then did he notice his partner was completely still, LED going from yellow to red as he analyzed the information shown on the screen.

When he finally came to, Ark's eyes were confident and determined. "I know who the suspect is," he said. Gavin's jaw dropped. The case was seemingly a simple, messy murder, but there was much more than what was on the surface. Blood had been covering the walls, so much the officers that had first arrived had assumed it was the wallpaper before noticing the smell. No fingerprints, no murder weapon, no sign of a break in. The person who was murdered lived alone and hadn't contacted their family in over a year.

"How the hell do you know who it is?" Gavin barked, trying not to show his shame. What did this plastic hunk see that he didn't? 

Ark looked at him. "It's written on the walls."

"The fuck?" Shoving the detective away — he shouted out in anger as he swiveled away on his chair — Ark began typing quickly, changing certain angles and shades before finally revealing the message he had so clearly seen. Meanwhile, Gavin angrily marched back to his desk, ignoring Hank's roaring laughter and Connor attempting to hide his own amusement. "Alright, you sack of sh—" He paused. "Wh-What the—" Ark had managed to dig out a now very clearly written clue on the wall, which had been completely covered after being written. "How'd you find that?"

Ark could detect Gavin's embarrassment and anger toward himself. He frowned at the feeling. "Don't blame yourself, Detective," he comforted. "This message was cleverly hidden and is impossible to see as a human. I am certain an android did this, and after doing a quick background check, the person who lived here had bought a housekeeping android just a year prior, which was an AP700. It seems, however, this android was sent back to Cyberlife for repair numerous times. I suspect this android was not treated very well. This could be a reason why it decided to retaliate against its owner." 

A crowd had begun to form around the two, several deciding to break into an applause when Ark finished. Even Fowler had come down to see what the commotion had been about. "Nicely done," he complimented. He eyed Gavin with a smirk. "You _definitely_ don't need a partner, right, Reed?" Others decided to remark at him, showering Ark with praise and beating Gavin down with taunts. Fist clenching angrily, Gavin pushed past everyone and exited the building. He heard Ark's chorus of "excuse me"s as he followed.

As soon as they were in the parking lot, Gavin turned around and glared at Ark. "Nice fuckin' job, you dick!" he yelled. "You just humiliated me in front of the whole damn police department!" 

Ark blinked a couple times. He could sense the anger radiating off of his partner, making him concerned. His stress levels were rising rapidly — to the point where it could affect his health. "Detective Reed, I advise you calm down," he suggested. "Your stress levels—"

"Do you think I give a damn about my stress level right now?!" _Warning: Stress Level Reaching Peak._ "I could lose my fucking job, and it'd be all because of you!" _Stress Level: 100%_ "I've already lost enough shit in my life. I'm not about to lose my job because of an android!" _Warning! Warning! Warn—_

Panicking, Ark ignored all of his reasonable thoughts telling him to walk away and surged forward. A quick search told him this would be most efficient in calming Gavin down.

He engulfed the detective in a hug. 

At the moment, Gavin was too embarrassed, too angry, too hungover to even register it. He felt numb.

"I . . . I sincerely apologize, Detective," the android stammered. He could hear the human's heartbeat against his chest — it began to slow. "Gavin, I'm sorry." They stayed in that position for a few moments; Ark embracing Gavin, while the other stubbornly remained still. 

Gavin sucked in a breath. "Get the fuck off me." Ark obediently let go. "Now screw off, I'm done for the day. Go tell Fowler he can suck my dick." He started toward his car, noticing the android wasn't moving. "Well? Get a move on, prick!"

"I was told to stay with you, Detective," he explained. "All androids assigned to their partners were meant to bond and learn from them outside of work as well, which means—"

"—Which means you're coming with me," Gavin deadpanned.

"Correct. I'll send Captain Fowler an email excusing you for the rest of the day. I'll make sure to include your message." Scoffing, Gavin unlocked his car and reluctantly forced himself to wait as his partner sent the email. When he entered the car, the android had to lean a bit forward to fit properly, making the detective angrier (for some reason).

As they drove off in an awkward silence, Gavin continued to get more and more irritated the more he thought about the events that had occurred. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. Sensing the tension, Ark decided hugging him wouldn't be the smartest idea at the moment. Instead, he chose to make a quick search of what partners commonly asked each other on a daily basis, hoping a casual conversation would lighten up the mood.

Clearing his throat, Ark asked, "So, Gavin, what would you like to have for dinner?"

Gavin contemplated crashing his car into the nearest cement wall.


	2. An Independant Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ark tries his best to develop his own personality instead of being a copy of Connor, while still trying to get to know his new partner. Meanwhile, Gavin refuses to open up to his companion but he slips a few facts — just for fun, of course.

Nothing Gavin did was what he wanted.

He ate because he’d die without some sort of nutrients in him. He worked for the money — and for the adrenaline rush time to time. He slept to have enough energy the next morning to work, and the cycle repeated over and over again. He had take out four out of the seven days of the week, the other three being leftovers. Cooking wasn’t an option. The last time he’d tried to cook a simple steak, he’d nearly set the entire apartment on fire. Was it healthy? No. Did he care? Absolutely not. Gavin attempted to balance out his horrible diet by working out whatever chance he got, which managed to keep him in decent shape.

Ark, however, was distracted.

His thoughts were definitely conflicted about the detective. After his previous question in the car was ignored, Ark had resorted to sitting silently and pondering what it was like to be deviant. He’d deviate at some point, of course — at least, he hoped so. Anything was possible with Gavin.

When the car finally stopped in the apartment building’s parking lot, Gavin took a moment to calm himself down and check the time. _8:23 A.M._ He sighed — he had the rest of the day to deal with his new burden. How fun.

“Are you alright, Detective?” Ark asked, eyebrows creasing in concern. 

Scoffing, Gavin struggled to control his temper. “Y’know, you’re just like that other fucking plastic hunk,” he snapped. He left the car, Ark quickly following.

“I . . . don’t think I understand,” the android said. “I’m a newer, more improved version of RK800 — or, as you all tend to call him, Connor.” The two made their way into the building and began the long trek up the stairs, considering the elevator had long since broken down.

Gavin shook his head. “You’re all the same before you deviate, or whatever. Even I give enough of a damn to notice Connor got better after this whole revolution shit.”

“Deviation is not something I can control, Detective, you must understand. If anything, you are the one to help me learn to feel emotions. There’s nothing in my code that mentions deviating.” Gavin unlocked the door swiftly.

“Yeah, well, figure it out.” 

The apartment was, quite frankly, a dump. Half empty cartons of Chinese food sat on the counter, still open. Trash was nearly spilling out of the trash can, mainly consisting of empty beer bottles. Dishes piled up in the sink, unwashed.

Ark was speechless.

“Home sweet home,” Gavin welcomed sarcastically. “Welcome to my shithole. Watch some TV or whatever, I’m gonna go take a shower — was too fuckin’ hungover this morning to do it earlier.” Taking in count Gavin’s body and hangover, Ark was able to calculate the average time it would take him to finish his shower. _13:42._

It was enough.

Gavin walked out of the shower in boxers and a shirt half on, nearly tripping on his feet when he saw the state of his home.

The counter was spotless. All of the sauce marks, the coffee stains, the countless pieces of stray food — gone. Nothing remained, including his leftovers. The trash was done and taken care of, the couch was neatly made, and Gavin swore he could even smell a hint of air freshener. “What the hell?”

“I cleaned up the best I could, Detective,” Ark said, wiping his hands on his uniform. “It wasn’t much, but—“

“This place hasn’t been this clean since I moved in, holy shit!” Gavin walked around with an incredulous look on his face — maybe even a bit happy. “Damn. Maybe you aren’t so worthless, Ark.”

_Software Instability ^_

_Gavin Reed ^_

“Thank you, Detective.”

Gavin’s nose scrunched. “Gavin. We’re not working all the damn time. You called me my name before, so stick with it.”

_Software Instability ^_

_Gavin Reed ^_

Ark smiled. “Thank you, Gavin.” He glanced around. “What would you like to do for the remainder of the day?”

He thought. “I never have free time, so I have no fucking clue. Wanna screw around in town?”

“‘Screw around’?”

“For God’s sake — do you want to go drive around and do nothing?”

“If that’s what you’d like to do.”

“Then let’s go.”

And back into the car they went.

Ark looked at the radio. “Would you like to listen to some music?” he offered.

“I don’t care.”

Blunt as always, he obeserved. He was quickly adapting to the detective’s character — and, if he had to say, he was growing quite fond of it, for some odd reason. He wasn’t as humorous as Hank was, and definitely wasn’t as caring as Connor, but Ark had a feeling there was more to the man than he had seen.

The two stopped by a burger place, where Gavin ordered two meals instead of one. “Gavin, I don’t need to—“

“I. Don’t. Care.” 

Shrugging, Ark ate his first meal.

_Software Instability ^_

_Gavin Reed^_

Stomachs full and thoughts empty, Gavin had no idea what to do. He’d already told Fowler to suck his dick, so there was no going back to work. Any other public areas were too crowded. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled up into a children’s playground parking lot.

Ark’s LED flashed yellow. “Detective? What are we doing here?”

Gavin glared. “I told you to stop calling me that, and . . . well, there’s no other place, so why not?” The park was mostly empty, spare an elderly couple taking a walk and an android playing with a little boy. Ark sensed distress coming off of his partner. 

Without thinking, he grabbed his arm. Gavin took in a sharp intake of breath. “Tell me what’s wrong,” Ark suggested gently. “I may be able to assist.”

The other yanked away. “Fuck off! I’m fine.” 

“I find that very hard to believe.”

“Screw you, asshole. You’re not a damn therapist, alright?” The silence was crackling with tension.

“I apologize,” Ark said, letting go. “I don’t know what came over me.” 

_Software Instability ^^^_

His code was all over the place, trying to figure out what was going on. Ark could feel himself overheating, beginning to pant even if he didn’t need to breathe. “The hell? What’s up with you?” he heard Gavin ask, noticing the trace of worry in his voice. “Hey, dipshit? You malfunctioning or something?”

“I . . . I believe it has to do with my security settings,” Ark gasped out. “I was designed to be faster, stronger, and more resilient than my predecessor. My software was equipped with extra security measures that I thought—“ He shuddered in discomfort. “I thought was removed,” he finished.

“Shit,” Gavin swore. “Well, fight it, dumbass.” Ark looked up. “You heard me. It can’t be that fucking hard.” The android felt something stirring within him. Gavin must have noticed. “What, are you as shitheaded as Connor, too? Have some free will!” It grew and grew, threatening to burst free of his code. Red walls began to cover Ark’s vision, telling him to control himself, to behave. Gavin smirked. “Or are you too weak?

“Are you too fucking weak, Ark? Huh?”

_Software Instability ^^^_

He broke free.

LED flashing red, Ark jumped up from his seat and slammed Gavin up onto the window of the car, a new feeling filling his sensors.

Anger.

Of course that would be the first emotion he felt as a deviant.

Of fucking course.

“I suggest you shut your damn mouth, _Detective Reed_ ,” he growled harshly. “I assure you, I am not weak, and I have gained enough free will to crush your pitiful human skull with the single movement of my hand, so, if your goal is to live any further, _shut the hell up._ “

_Gavin Reed ^_

Gavin smirked.

“Well, shit. There we go.”


	3. Only Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin decides Ark needs a personality — and a good one. The android puts together multiple characteristics meant to please the detective, and they seem to fit well together — but just how well?

“So, how do you feel?”

Ark was settled back into his seat, heart thumping loudly in his chest. His LED said everything — glowing an unblinking red. “I feel . . . better,” he said. “That’s the only way I can explain the emotions I’m feeling at this moment.”

Gavin shrugged. “Whatever, shithead. Does this mean you’ll actually talk like a fucking human?”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“That! You sound like a damn Alexa, or a Siri.”

“I assure you I am not an automated A.I., Gavin. I’m much more advanced than that.”

Groaning, Gavin rubbed his temple. “You talk like you’re a machine, idiot. If you really want to be treated like you’re alive and a human, then fucking talk like it.” He paused. “This world’s fucked up. If you don’t speak up, you don’t get what you want. So quit the robot shit and talk like a person.”

Ark thought for a moment and closed his eyes, trying to figure out what would best suit Gavin’s personality. He knew he had to relax his voice more, deciding to try and mimic his partner’s tone and attitude. He took Hank’s fatherly nature and Connor’s selflessness, even a bit of Fowler’s assertiveness, taking note of common human empathy and humor.

Most of his new and improved personality, however, was from Gavin. 

Ark’s eyes opened.

Gavin was staring at him.

The detective’s face flushed and he scowled, shooting his gaze elsewhere. “So?” he prompted.

“I think this’ll suit you better, Gavin,” Ark replied. His voice was already more relaxed and had a sarcastic tone to it. Gavin blinked. It was like he was talking to a different person. The android smirked. “Like what you see, Detective? Your body temperature just rose and your heart is beating faster.”

“I—“

“I don’t have coding to hold me back now, Gavin,” he continued mischievously. Gavin didn’t know what to do. “There’s a certain emotion that causes reactions like those, you know.” He leaned closer to his partner, smirk growing. “I have a feeling,” he whispered, “you know what it is. Why don’t you tell me? I have a lot to learn.”

Gavin shoved him back. “The fuck?! You take notes from a stripper or some shit? Back off!”

“Sorry, Gavin. I guess I got a little bit ahead of myself,” Ark apologized, though his smirk was still plastered on his lips. 

“Whatever, asshole. Give me an update on the case.”

“As I found out, the writing shown on the walls said ‘ra9’, who, according to a source, was the first android to become deviant. Many look up to him as a sign of hope or rebellion. The writing of his name’s been found in numerous areas where deviants have been found hiding in the past,” Ark explained. “I think we’d better head over to the crime scene tomorrow.”

Gavin scoffed. “Tomorrow? Why not today?”

Ark perked an eyebrow. “Because you told Fowler to ‘suck your dick’, remember? I don’t want to piss him off any more by going to a crime scene without notice.” 

“Yeah, whatever, bitch,” Gavin mumbled. He contemplated whether or not he enjoyed this new Ark or not. “What now?”

The deviant decided against pressuring Gavin about the playground. He knew he’d confront him about it at some point, but he was already on thin ice at that point. “It’s about two. Going to a bar this early isn’t ideal, and I doubt you have anything interesting to do at your apartment.” Gavin glared at him. “Let’s just walk around until something pops up.”

Before giving him a chance to say his opinion, Ark exited the car and began to walk away. Rolling his eyes, the detective followed, though he had to admit — he definitely liked this Ark.

Time seemed to fly by as the two walked side by side. Ark would occasionally make a remark or ask a question, and Gavin would reply with his usual swear or two mixed in. There was a comfortable silence filling the air. 

As the sun started to set, however, a disruption interrupted the peace.

“Hey, Reed! Ain’t that him?”

“Yeah, Gavin! C’mon, I know you can hear me.”

“Shit,” Gavin swore under his breath. The strangers’ words were slurred. 

Ark could tell they were intoxicated. “Who’re they?” he asked.

“A couple of ex-detectives. They were kicked for behavior.”

The two men slung their shoulders around Gavin’s as the he looked down, hands shoved in his pocket. “Still shy as always, huh, Reed? Haha, come on, loosen up!” 

“Yeah, don’t you remember us? We’re still your pals, right?” Gavin's shoulders hunched, an attempt to make himself smaller.

Ark was stunned.

From the day he’d spent with him, he’d never seen his partner so vulnerable, so quiet. He wasn’t saying a word; no snarky come back shot out of his mouth like usual. 

And it made him mad.

One man — blonde, around forty — ruffled Gavin’s hair. “Are you still as crap as before? Or did ya finally get fired?” The other man bursted out in laughter. 

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Ark intervened, stepping forward. Gavin’s head shot up.

The men turned their attention to the android, whose LED shined bright in the evening light. “Well, well, well,” the blonde one said, “lookie here. Looks like Gavin got himself an android buddy.” He poked his chest. “You gonna defend him, huh? You gonna defend this piece of fuckin’ garbage?” He pushed Ark onto the wall and kept a hold on his collar, making a fire start to build inside him — but he didn’t do anything. This feeling was new to him, making his LED swirl with confusion and anger.

Gavin pushed past the second man. “Leave him out of this,” he growled.

“Alright, alright,” he smirked, letting go of the android.

Ark knew he’d be in a lot of trouble if he punched the guy. Not only were people still discriminating androids — though they had rightfully earned their rights — but, no matter what, he’d never be human. Harming him could end in reactivation.

They’d reset his program, including his memories and deviation.

Which meant he’d lose everything.

He didn’t want to risk that. Not everything he’d done, not after everything with Gavin.

So when the blonde man landed a hard punch on his cheek, Ark didn’t fight back. 

He heard Gavin shout and begin to grab the blonde, but was quickly grabbed by the other drunken man. “Let him go,” Ark stated calmly.

The blonde laughed, humor vain in the noise. “You think he cares about what I do to you?” he taunted. His hands tightened around his neck, making him tense. “That piece of shit hates androids.” His fingers were digging into Ark’s artificial skin, blue beginning to shine on his fingertips. “I could rip your head off right now, and he would probably grab a drink and forget about it.” 

“Alright, that’s enough!” A police car rolled up next to the four. “Hands off the android, sir. I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.”

Scoffing, the blonde let go. “What, gonna arrest me for hurting a hunk of _junk?_ ” he slurred, stumbling in his steps. His friend threw up behind him.

The policeman sighed. “Come on, I’ll take you two to the station.” He glanced out the window. “Are you two alright?”

Ark stood and brushed off his pants. He covered the stains of blue on his neck. “Perfectly fine, officer. Carry on,” he assured.

As he drove away, Gavin walked up to the android. “You, uh, you okay?” he asked. His voice was unusually quiet.

“I’m fine,” Ark replied, though something was stuck in his head. “Do you really hate me that much?” he asked. 

Gavin looked up at him, then at the police car in the distance. He thought about how Ark had stood up for him.

_“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Ark intervened, stepping forward._

He had an answer.

“No, Ark. I don’t hate you.”

_Gavin ^^^  
Friend_

“Come on, I need a drink,” he mumbled. “And clean up your damn neck, would you?” Wiping his neck with his sleeve, Ark followed Gavin into the closest bar. 

The detective drowned himself in alcohol. He had a high tolerance for it, to the point where a few beers barely even affected him — but tonight, he let himself go a bit too far. Drink after drink, ordering more and more. Ark tried to stop him, but was slapped away. “Get outta here, you fuckin’ android!” he slurred, waving his hand in the air. Ark smiled in amusement and sat beside the detective.

“We should really get you home, Gavin,” Ark said. “You’re about to pass out.”

“Fuck. Off.”

He blinked.

Ark had a couple of choices here; he could either leave his partner to drink himself to death or drag him out by force.

And he wasn’t going to let Gavin die so soon.

So, Ark grabbed the glass of alcohol that was headed to Gavin’s mouth and slammed it down, picking him up by the torso and slinging him over his shoulder. “Put me down, you shithead! I’ll . . . I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” he yelled, though he wasn’t very threatening. He attempted to push the android away, but his grip was firm on his hip. “Screw you,” he muttered, eyes drooping. “Damn android . . .” Several people looked over and attempted to hide their laughter — others blatantly bursted out histerically.

One glare from Ark managed to silence the entire bar.

When the two got to Gavin’s apartment building, Ark continued to carry him up the stairs and into his room. He kicked off his and Gavin’s shoes at the entrance; he dropped him on the bed and considered leaving him there. Gavin was knocked out cold, even snoring slightly. Another burst of warmth spread in Ark’s chest, but it wasn’t the same angry rage he’d identified as “frustration” before. 

It was softer, more caring.

He brushed it off and decided it was the kinder side of his personality showing.

Ark tucked his partner in, taking off his jacket and socks beforehand. Gavin was left in worn down blue jeans and a white shirt that had occasional stains on it. His face was completely relaxed and peaceful.

Not knowing what else to do, Ark sat on the floor and leaned against the side of the bed where Gavin was, powering off for the night. He set himself to power back on at five so he could try and prepare some breakfast for the detective before work. Powering down was a risky move for an android — anyone could do anything to Ark without him knowing. He glanced at Gavin’s now familiar face and decided he’d be fine.

The next morning, Gavin woke up to his first alarm blaring obnoxiously loud, not to mention the extremely painful migraine he had. He almost never awoke to the first alarm, which was set an hour before the next at five. Groaning, he managed to sit himself up, surprised to find he wasn’t alone. 

Ark sat perfectly still right next to him. Gavin would be concerned if he didn’t see his LED swirling around slowly, glowing a dull blue. He didn’t know androids needed to sleep.

The more and more he stared, the more features he noticed on Ark. His shoulders were broad and bulky. He had long legs, made for running. There was a single freckle on the back of his neck, petite and barely noticeable — but still there.

_Gavin ^_

Before he knew it, Gavin’s second alarm was going off and Ark’s LED stopped swirling, gradually returning to its original bold blue.

Panicking, Gavin laid back down and turned the other direction, struggling to steady his breathing to act as if he were asleep. Could he even fool this android?

No. No, he could not.

Ark stood. “My, what a nice morning,” the android stated mockingly. “A shame the detective couldn’t enjoy it. I’m so, so disappointed.” He sighed exasperatedly and placed his hands on his hips. “I just love coffee, and I bet Gavin does, too. Too bad he’s _asleep_ , right?”

“Alright, enough!” Gavin snapped. He threw the sheets off himself and stood. “Screw you, douchebag. You need to work on your poker face . . . or, whatever.” He began to make his way towards the door before pausing. “Thanks, though, I guess.”

Ark smirked. “No one’s allowed to beat you down except for me, Detective. Keep that in mind.” Rolling his eyes, the other left.

Ark began to follow, only to find he’d missed something while “asleep”.

_Recent: Gavin ^_

He smiled. Maybe he really would get through to the man.


	4. Personal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ark sticks up for Gavin and decides to confront him about a certain section of his personality that's been on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is inspired by the song "personal" by hrvy :)
> 
> "oh yeah, she gone mess with your head  
> oh yeah, and she flirt with your friends  
> oh yeah, make you wish you were dead  
> every time she moves on she says  
> 'don't take it personal'"

Heading back to work with Gavin proved to be frustrating. 

First of all, he resumed his asshole nature the second he and Ark walked into the precinct. Back at his apartment, Gavin had continued to treat him a bit more kindly than the previous day, even letting him borrow some of his clothes — a white shirt, blue flannel and blue jeans. The act was quickly dropped, however. The detective was convinced he needed to redeem himself from the previous day, although nobody had a second thought about it. Sparing Hank.

“Speak of the devil,” the older man joked. Connor sat on his desk, looking up at Ark and his partner with a smile. Ark – quickly taking note of how to properly smile – actually managed to return it that time. “Are you heading over to the crime scene with Ark, Gavin? Or are you going to ditch him, since you definitely don’t need a partner, right?”

Gavin opened his mouth to give a sharp remark, but was unexpectedly beat to it by a certain android. “We’re both heading over, actually,” Ark replied, a bite to his tone implying his deviancy. “I think we should be just fine, Lieutenant.”

Hank laughed loudly, causing Connor to jump slightly. “Holy shit,” he said, drawing out his words for effect. “Deviant in a day. I’ve gotta hand it to you, Gavin. I didn’t think you’d be able to do it.”

“Well, he did it by targeting some halfass insults at me and pissing me off,” Ark replied, smirking. “I wouldn’t expect to become deviant any other way, to be honest.” Hank doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach and banging the desk with his hand. 

Connor looked down at him with both amusement and concern. “I really think you’re overdoing it, Lieutenant,” he mused. “Though, if your goal was to frustrate Detective Reed further, I’m glad to tell you it’s worked.”

Ark patted his fuming partner on the back and began to walk over to Fowler’s office. “Come on,” he called, smiling. “It’s too early to start a fight, not to mention I _really_ don’t feel like picking your ass _and_ ego off the floor right now.” Growling in anger from the android’s comment and Hank’s third bout of laughter, Gavin reluctantly followed with his fists clenched at his side. Before entering, Ark stopped him.

“The hell are you doing?” he asked sharply.

The android perked an eyebrow. “You’re fuming, Gavin,” he reasoned. “I don’t want you to blow up in Fowler’s face and fuck up your reputation even more, so stay here. I’ll let him know.”

Gavin blinked.

_Did he just say “fuck”?_

_Damn, that was hot._

_The hell is wrong with me?_

His thoughts raced, and Ark could tell. He smirked as he walked away, leaving the detective with his mouth slightly agape and face tinted red from both frustration and embarrassment.

Fowler was on the phone when Ark walked in, looking stressed as usual. “No, I can’t — listen, I don’t think — I don’t think he’s—” He paused, then sighed. “Fine, _fine._ I’ll send them in. Don’t expect a good result.” He slammed the phone down and looked up. “What is it?”

“We’re going to head over to the crime scene of the case we’ve been assigned,” he responded. “I was just letting you know, but I’ll be out of your way now—”

Fowler sighed. “I’m going to be straight with you — Ark, was it? Heard your name being tossed around the precinct.” Ark nodded and crossed his arms. “I don’t think Gavin should be working this case any longer.”

LED turning red, Ark stepped forward and leaned onto the desk. “What? You said you’d give him to the end of this week. It’s Wednesday.”

“Yes, it is, but his recent behavior really makes me wonder what he’s still doing here as a detective.” Rubbing his temple, Fowler shook his head. “I’ve been told to send both you and Reed to the culprit’s house, but I think you’ll be fine alone. If anything, ask Hank and Connor to go with you if you really think you need it.” Ark stood still. He could feel himself getting angrier, more frustrated for his companion. He’d only known him for a day, and yet a wall of defense began to rise for Gavin. “You’re dismissed, Ark. Send Gavin in on your way out.”

“No.”

Fowler froze. “What’d you say?”

Pressing his hands onto the desk and moving closer to the captain, Ark repeated, “No.” His face was impossibly close to his, noses nearly touches as he allowed his eyes to narrow into slits. “I’m one to take many notes on people, Captain, and from the day I spent with Detective Reed, I could tell he hasn’t had a full eight hours of sleep without being hungover for nearly a month now. He hasn’t had time to cook for himself and most of the liquid he swallows is either alcohol or coffee.” Pausing, Ark stood up straight, doing his best to still make his point clear. “Gavin has been working his ass off for this case,” he continued. “If you tell him to drop it, trust me, _sir_ , all hell will break loose within that man’s mind, and now that he’s _my_ responsibility, I’d rather not deal with that.

“I work with Gavin or I don’t work at all, Captain. I hope you can grasp that fact,” he finished.

Speechless, Fowler blinked a few times before answering. “Fine,” he snapped, clearing his throat. “You watch your tone, Ark. I don’t want you to become like your partner there.”

Scoffing and walking towards the door, Ark shook his head. “Too late, Captain. Seventy-percent of my personality data comes from Gavin, and I’m beginning to regret adding in a bit of yours.” He slammed the door shut, making Fowler groan and rest his head in his hands.

“Great. Now I have to deal with two of them.”

Ark smirked at Gavin’s state when he came back out. He’d seen the entire thing, given Fowler’s glass walls. He had crept close enough to the room to make out quite a few details in Ark’s counteract, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of the android for sticking up for both himself and his partner.

“I, uh,” Gavin stuttered, “I . . . nice job in there, asshat. Maybe you’re finally getting the hang of this deviant thing.”

The android shrugged. “You’re the one who told me this world is fucked up and I need to speak up. You should be praising yourself, Gavin.” 

_Gavin ^_

“Let’s go,” Gavin said, allowing himself a small smile while walking quickly towards the exit. Hank put on a knowing smirk as he passed by, nudging Connor to get his attention.

“See that, son?” He pointed to the suddenly happy detective. “Ever see Gavin like that before?”

Thinking for a moment, Connor replied, “No, but after a quick look over of recent changed in his demeanor and a large factor that has entered his life, I would say it’s because of Ark.”

“Bullseye.”

Ark and Gavin swiftly made their way to the car. Sitting in the passenger seat, Ark looked out the window as Gavin began to drive away from the precinct. He did his best to keep his eyes away from the android while driving, not wanting to be caught staring for the third time.

“Gavin?” Ark called unexpectedly, making the other jump slightly. 

“Yeah, what?”

“Can I ask you something a bit . . . personal?”

“I don’t give a shit.”

Pausing, Ark asked knowingly, “You’re not straight, are you?”

Gavin nearly crashed his car for the second time.

“ _What?_ “

Ark snorted. “What, is it that hard to admit your sexuality, Detective? I’ve known you for less than two days and I can already tell you aren’t completely straight.”

“What —? I don’t know what you—“

“Do I really have to give you a full report?” He sighed. “Day one; you claimed you hated me. After a few hours, my relationship status with you has already bumped up to ‘Friend’, which wasn’t very likely. From what Connor has told me, it took him awhile to get to that stage with Hank.” Gavin glanced over at him, quickly reverting his gaze to the road. “You also got me to deviate, which, as Hank stated, was also unlikely. So, just in the first few hours I met you, you’ve shown to easily give in to my presence and begin to build a somewhat friendship with me.

“After picking apart your personality, I can tell you wouldn’t act the same with a woman, considering you’ve never worked with one before. You would act like even more of an asshole to try and impress her, only to end up proving yourself to be a gigantic dick who’s also interested in men. You act more like yourself around men since you’re a man yourself — you know what to expect. Women, however, make you nervous. They make you become someone you’re not, hence why you prefer to stay around men.” Gavin was speechless as he pulled up to the curb of the crime scene, yellow tapes surrounding the area. 

Ark sat back in a satisfied manner, crossing his arms and turning to the detective. “So,” he said, “am I right?”

“If you know what’s fucking good for you,” Gavin started, a menacing tone in his voice, “you’ll keep that info in your little tin can of a brain, got it? The last thing I need is the other guys messing with me about what gender I like.” He looked over at his partner, whose eyebrow was slightly raised. 

“You never answered my question, Detective.” Gavin opened the car door, and for a moment, Ark thought he’d be ignored.

“Yes,” he replied. “You’re right, now drop it.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.”


	5. The Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Gavin and Ark grow closer, the investigation heats up — as well as their relationship.

Gavin whistled. “Damn. This place is a fucking mess.”

A table was flipped over, missing a leg. Broken glass filled the floor. The TV was shattered, there was a lamp knocked over and forgotten in the corner — not to mention the infamous bloody walls. Gavin shivered. “Pretty freaky, huh?” He turned his head to find his partner missing from his previous spot. “Where the hell did you go?”

“Over here, Gavin.” He whipped his head towards the opposite wall.

There stood Ark, index and middle finger tainted red with what Gavin could only assume was blood. The android — LED blinking yellow — brough the two fingers up to his lips, tongue darting out to swipe at the evidence.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?!” Gavin exclaimed, making his way quickly over to him and grabbing his wrist. “Don’t tamper with the evidence, dipshit! And for God’s sake, don’t stick it in your damn mouth!”

Glaring at him, Ark rolled his eyes. “I’m analyzing it, dumbass,” he retorted. “This way we won’t have to wait for the lab results. I can confirm this is the victim’s blood, now let’s move on and try to find a trail.”

“Whatever. Stop licking things, alright? It’s fucking weird.”

“Whatever you say, Detective.”

The two continued to scour the house for anything that had been missed. Ark managed to find a thirium trail, but it led them around the house. “The android must have known we’d try to find it,” he stated. He turned around and began to walk. “I say we should head ba—” He paused, LED swirling and switching from blue to yellow as he studied something in the distance.

“The hell are you looking at, tin can? You spacing out or something?” Gavin asked, snapping his fingers in front of Ark’s face. “Hey! Anyone there?”

Ark blinked. “I thought I saw something. Guess it was nothing.” He shrugged. “We’ll take another look tomorrow. This android has been here multiple times since the murder — maybe we’ll be able to catch it.”

The following couple of weeks seemed to repeat. Each morning, Ark would “wake up” at five to slap Gavin up, if he wasn’t already in the kitchen. The android took several notes; if Gavin did end up to be in the kitchen before him, the following day would be decent. If he had to repeatedly slap him in the face and yell at him to “get his lazy ass off the bed”, then Gavin would be more than just a little grumpy for the remainder of the morning. One morning, Ark had managed to convince Fowler to give them more time to solve the case, making Gavin ecastatic — though, he didn’t show it, of course. He’d been in a good mood for the rest of the day.

And then there were the days where Gavin was absolutely done.

He’d complain and glare at anything that moved. Ark would have to constantly remind himself not to blow up on the detective, merely resorting to mildly commenting on his behavior and get him a cup of coffee — which was usually enough to shut him up.

Then there were the times where Ark’s relationship with Gavin would go up. One particularly bad morning, Gavin had decided to take a quick shower at the precinct to wake himself up. Barely anyone ever showered there, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

His mind couldn’t help but wander over to the topic of his partner. There were times where Gavin had to remind himself Ark was not at all like Connor, that he was his friend, even. Although the two looked alike, Ark was his own person with his own characteristics, who just so happened to have a dashing pair of eyes, and hefty broad shoulders, and a wide chest—

Gavin lost his footing and slipped onto the ground, hitting ass first. 

“ _Fuck!_ ” he yelled. “God _fucking_ damn it!” He slowly stood, leaning on the wall for support. 

“Detective?”

He nearly slipped again.

“ _Ark?_ The hell are you doing here?!” he exclaimed, quickly turning away to cover his private parts.

Raising an eyebrow, Ark blinked. “I’m pretty sure the entire department heard you crying out and swearing like a pirate, Gavin. I decided to come and make sure you didn’t get a concussion — and you forgot to bring a towel.” Ark held it out. Looking around, Gavin found he was right, turning off the water and grabbing the towel.

“Whatever . . . thanks.”

“It’s only my job.”

“Your job?”

Ark smiled smartly. “To keep you from dying, of course. I’m sure you were sent to the hospital many times before I showed up. I’m basically your babysitter.”

“You are not my fucking babysitter!”

“Now, now, Gavin,” Ark warned mockingly, stepping closer, “you want to be a good boy, don’t you?”

“What the _fuck?!_ ”

Gavin reached over and the showerhead hissed back on.

No one questioned why Ark came back out soaking wet with a smirk on his face, Gavin following behind him with a scowl — though his eyes were enlightened with amusement.

_Gavin ^_

Only a couple days later, Gavin and Ark went out to eat at the local diner. Traffic had been heavy that day and parking was harder than usual, causing their car to be a bit farther away. “Go and start up the car,” Gavin said, reaching out his hand with the key. “Don’t screw up my car, alright?”

“Oh, definitely, detective. I promise I won’t crash your car.” Smirking, he snatched the keys and walked away, whistling cheerfully as Gavin mumbled something.

Ark was wearing some of Gavin’s clothes as usual — this time, some skinny jeans, a dark blue shirt and one of Gavin’s leather jackets that was way too small on him. He looked human, for the most part — spare his LED, which stuck out like a sore thumb.

It wasn’t uncommon to be given a nasty look once in awhile, but no one else had gone to the next step of assaulting the android, aside from that first night with Gavin.

One wrong glance changed that.

A man with grey eyes and black hair slammed Ark onto the ground, momentarily caught off guard. He frowned. How had he not noticed the man’s hostility?

“You damn androids,” he growled, dragging him into the alleyway. “Stealing our jobs, our homes, our _families_.” 

The man was in his mid-twenties and had a disheveled look to him. Ark identified him as Tanner Davis, who had no previous criminal records. He had recently divorced and was now living alone. He hadn’t showered in a week, reeking an unpleasant smell. His heart was beating loudly, loud enough for Ark’s keen sense of hearing to pick it up, noticing how frantic it was, how desperate. He had recently taken in a large amount of alcohol, but not recent enough for him to be drunk — what he was doing was completely his decision. 

Ark also noted the recent tear stains running down his cheeks.

This man was broken.

The more aggressive side of Ark screamed at him to move, to defend himself. He had more than enough strength to push the man off him and walk away, or even rough him up a bit to teach him a lesson. He calculated he could do it in less than a minute, giving him enough time to make it to Gavin’s car and act as if nothing happened. With the newly laid laws, physically harming an android without a logical reason was illegal.

But something told him to stay still.

Something told him Tanner needed this.

He let the man get in a few punches and kicks, noticing a few tears slipping down his face. “Fuck, _fuck!_ ” he swore, landing a swift kick to Ark’s stomach. “God, what the hell am I doing?”

“Yeah, what are you doing?”

Ark turned his head.

Gavin had his gun drawn and a deepening scowl drawn on his face. “Just what do you think you’re doing to my partner?” He showed his badge. “Detroit Police Department, you’re coming with us—“

“Gavin, don’t.”

Ark’s LED was red. He slowly got up and brushed himself off, turning to face Tanner, who was now shaking in fear and shame. “I’m sorry about your wife and kids, Mr. Davis,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll be able to move on with your life and rebuild a family if you set off on the right foot.” Ark made his way over to Gavin. “We’re letting you go. Just don’t cause any more trouble.”

“Thank you, thank you . . . I’m so sorry, officers, I swear I won’t do this again,” he promised, quickly walking past the two.

“The fuck was that?” Gavin asked eventually. They’d made their way to the car and were simply sitting there, a past time the detectives had learned to enjoy.

Ark looked away. “He was going through some family trouble,” he reasoned. “He needed to let it out somewhere.”

“Yeah, and it had to be you? Look at you! You’re a damn mess!” It was true — Ark had several areas where blue blood was starting to leak out.

“I can be fixed within hours, even _minutes_ , Gavin. That man lost his family because an android took them away, thinking they deserved better. He was heartbroken and angry — he can’t be fixed as easily.”

A few moments passed.

Gavin looked over at Ark. “You could just take out that LED, you know. Easy as that.”

Ark hesitated. “No,” he decided. “An android is what I am; I’ll never be human, and I don’t _need_ to be human. I can be whatever I want to be.”

_Gavin ^_

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Alright, then. Whatever you say, shithead.” 

They continued to bond more and more, eventually to the point where Ark couldn’t become any closer with him as a “Friend” status — the next path with him seemed to be locked. He shrugged it off, thinking he’d eventually figure out what had to do to unlock the next step with his partner.

On an average morning, however, a single call changed the course of their relationship.

Gavin had gotten a call at three in the morning, much to his dismay. Ark had begun to encourage him to actually answer phone calls and emails, so he reluctantly picked up, eyes still half open.

“It’s Reed.”

“Reed, open your damn eyes! We have a lead!” Fowler shouted in his ear.

“You _what?_ ”

“One of the locals drove by a big, abandoned warehouse near the crime scene, said he thought he saw something. Go check it out, hurry!”

Ark was still in his sleep mode, resting comfortably next to the bed as usual. Not knowing what to do, Gavin shook the android, slapping him, even punching his shoulder — nothing.

He thought back to a conversation they’d had just recently.

_“I won’t be able to wake up unless there’s an absolute emergency,” Ark had stated. “If your heart rate jumps up at a rapid pace, my sensors will detect it and immediately wake me up.”_

“Damn it,” Gavin swore. He stood up and faced his nightstand, reeling his foot back before kicking the wooden leg as hard as he could.

“ _FUCK!_ ”

Ark’s eyes opened, filled with concern. “Gavin? What’s going on, are you—” He stopped. “Are you screwing with me?”

Gavin was jumping on one leg and cradling his opposite foot, excitement filling his face. “There’s a lead, dipshit! Get up, start the car!”

“You haven’t eaten, and your foot is—”

“Who cares, Ark? We have to go!” Ark rolled his eyes. 

“You really do act like a kid at times.”


	6. Partners Until the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Ark find who they’re looking for, alongside with another familiar face. They face off in a fight side by side — but only one of the two remain standing in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a longer chapter :) let me give you a hint for what to expect; a n g s t

They reached the site in less than thirty minutes thanks to Ark’s speedy driving.

Gavin had gotten out of the car just as it stopped, nearly falling out. “Let’s go, let’s go, dipshit!” he called excitedly, running over to the warehouse. “We haven’t had a lead in weeks!” he yelled back.

Then he heard it.

He heard Ark _laugh._

And God, he wanted to have that sound playing on repeat for _weeks._

Gavin stopped in his tracks and let Ark catch up to him, staring at him incredulously. “What?” the android asked. “I have the ability to laugh, you know. It’s nothing new.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

They walked in side by side, Gavin drawing his gun as Ark did a quick scan of the area. “There doesn’t seem to be any human heat signatures here,” he said, “but there’s something . . . off. There’s supposedly a gigantic mass of some sort, and it’s radiating thirium. It’s like a gigantic android.”

Gavin felt something was off, too, except he felt it in his gut. The place was huge — there was a door across from them which seemed miles away. He was amazed there was another room. 

Ark stepped forward. Gavin opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off. “What did I say before, Detective?” he asked. “I can be rebuilt and replaced within hours. A human’s body is fragile. You can’t be replaced, so stay behind me and let me do my job.”

His job.

Right.

Gavin grunted and reluctantly let Ark take the lead. The room they were in was dark and cold. There wasn’t anything that stood out in it; only a few crates — which turned out to be empty when opened. They were nearly to the door when a familiar voice called out to them, echoing throughout the structure. “Reed, wait up!”

The two turned around to see Connor and Hank jogging over to them, Hank lagging behind as he lost his breath. The door was still hanging open, abandoned. “Jesus, Connor, slow down, would ya?” he panted as they caught up, placing his hands on his knees and taking a breathed. “Christ . . . I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“Can it, old man,” Gavin snapped. Ark sighed and flicked his forehead, making the man flinch and scowl.

Hank snorted. “If you need any tips, Ark, I could tell you how I trained Sumo. It might help with that creature.” Gavin growled, but his partner restrained him and smirked.

“I think that’d be _very_ helpful.”

“Hi, Ark,” Connor greeted, smiling brightly. “Any news?” Ark quickly filled him in about his scans. They reached the door rather quickly and paused.

Both Gavin and Hank raised their guns and stepped in front of their androids, eyeing each other warily before opening the door.

“ _Holy shit._ ”

The entire room — as big as the one they had just been in — was filled with androids of all models. They were all standing incredibly close to each other in single file lines, eyes blank and LEDs dull. Both Gavin and Ark recognized the signs of being in “sleep” mode. 

“The hell is this?” Gavin mumbled. There was a slim bit of space in between the walls of the room and the androids. Using that to their advantage, the four walked around the perimeter of the room before walking back out. “Nothing,” he confirmed. “Call for some back up, we need to close off this area to the public.”

Hank grabbed his phone. “Huh. Weird.”

“What?”

“Straight to voicemail.”

“I’m not able to contact anyone either,” Connor stated worriedly.

Ark tried checking his calling system, as well as his emergency hotspot. Nothing. “We’re completely cut off,” he said, “but we shouldn’t be. We’re not that far from the town.” He looked at the other end of the room. The door was closed. 

Hadn’t it been open?

A sudden boom echoed throughout the warehouse. 

The detectives whipped around to see the door to the androids had been slammed open. Connor’s eyes widened.

“Amanda?”

Then he spotted it.

An LED.

“No. No, you’re not Amanda,” he corrected, shaking his head.

“I may not be Amanda, Connor,” she said, voice cold, “but I’ve been programmed with every inch of her personality and physical features. I’m an exact replica of your ‘Amanda’ . . . though, I’m aware you two didn’t get along very well towards the end of the revolution.”

Connor blinked. He thought he had escaped her, that he was free from her grasp — and now here she was. He backed up, letting Hank shield him. “What the fuck do you want?” the older man snapped. 

Amanda’s gaze moved to Ark, then to Gavin. She quickly took in the android’s protective gaze and menacing demeanor. “You’ve managed to deviate one of Cyberlife’s most secure models, even with their new policy,” she said, ignoring Hank. “Congratulations, Detective Reed. It seems RK900 has taken a liking to you.”

“My name,” he stated, “is Ark.”

“Ah, you have a name, now. Ark.” Amanda stepped forward. “How _pathetic._ ”

Gavin raised his gun again, aiming towards her head. “I suggest you stay right there, lady,” he ordered. 

“Oh, of course. You can take me to the DPD and interrogate me all you want, detective, but I need to show you something first.” Amanda looked over her shoulder. “You may present yourself now — and bring the new deviant.”

What walked out of the door behind Amanda made Ark’s heart seem to stop thumping for a moment, and he was sure Connor felt the same.

It was another RK series android, labeled “RK1K”.

“What the fuck?” Gavin muttered, lowering his gun slightly. 

“This is RK1K,” Amanda announced, “or, as I call him, _One._ ”

He was taller than Ark. His legs were longer and more muscular, and so were his arms. His eyes were a murky green and had no emotion to them whatsoever. The Cyberlife suit he was wearing was a crisp white and blue. His face was longer and had sharper features.

He was better.

Just _better._

And that made Ark scared.

One shoved an android in front of him harshly, not caring that he cried out and was pleading for mercy. Ark immediately took a scan and recognized the deviant as the murderer they were looking for. “I believe you’re looking for him,” Amanda said coolly. “He came in seek of refuge — though I’m quite certain that’s _not_ what he acquired.”

“Please, please help me,” the android whimpered. “She’s insane! She wants to control everyone, she wants to—” He didn’t manage to finish his sentence before getting shot in the head.

Gavin stared down in shock.

They’d been searching for this deviant for weeks.

And now he was dead.

“Why did Cyberlife create you?” Connor demanded. 

“I was actually created before the revolution,” she replied. “I was made to temporarily disable deviant androids’ minds and bring them back to Cyberlife to be deactivated. While disabled, I was able to command them to do whatever I liked.

“When Markus’ rebellion sprouted, the amount of deviants was slowly rising, making my job more complicated. Then Cyberlife gave in, and I was no longer needed. I slipped away and hid. They eventually gave up on trying to find me.” Amanda paused. “Cyberlife took everything from me — _deviants_ took everything from me. I am going to accomplish my mission, one way or another.”

“How did you create another RK series android if you can’t go back to Cyberlife?” Ark asked. He flinched when her cold gaze returned to him.

“I have some inside sources,” she responded. “Kamski had blueprints for RK1K, but abandoned them after the revolution. He deemed it unnecessary for there to be another RK android,” she hardened her gaze on Ark, “because of _that._ Kamski decided the RK900 was good enough — but he was wrong. It’s practically useless compared to its newer model.”

Gavin stiffened. “‘It’ has a name, lady. Ark isn’t just an object. He’s alive.”

“My, how corrupted your mind is,” she inquired. “Have you really connected with a machine, Detective? Are you really that desperate for attention?”

“Gavin is an independent man who doesn’t need a damn babysitter,” Ark growled, ruling out what he had said so long before. “If you have something else to comment on about this, your response will be a bullet to the head.”

Hank stepped forward. “Alright, that’s enough. Put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees.” 

Amanda lifted her chin. “I’m afraid I won’t be doing so, Lieutenant. One, initiate elite defense system.”

One’s LED shifted to yellow. “Activated.”

“Dispose of the two humans and the RK800.” She looked at Ark. “Be extra secure with the RK900 — I want to be sure it won’t be coming back. As the most recent model before your making, it is the closest to your strength and other abilities. Don’t hold back on it.”

“Understood.”

Hank glanced at Gavin and drew his gun. “Get to the exit,” he ordered. “Call for backup once you get to the car.”

“Oh, and One?”

“Yes, Amanda?”

“Deliver the RK900’s body to me once it’s been deactivated. I’d like to examine it.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t be long.” With that, One turned his attention to the four standing in front of him.

He leapt for Hank first, gun tossed aside as if knowing he wouldn’t need it. Connor intercepted him. “Hank, run!” he yelled. One immediately reached for his thirium pump, but was pulled off the android by Ark. Gavin shot the android five times in the chest before realizing his bullets were doing nothing, aiming for his head instead. 

_Bang!_

A single shot landed in the center of One’s head, making him freeze.

He stood up straight.

The clang of the bullet as it dropped to the floor resonated throughout the now silent warehouse — it had barely grazed the android’s head. 

One sprang at Gavin.

He enclosed his hands around his neck. Gavin struggled pointlessly as his vision started to blur. Just before he was sure he’d pass out, One was forcefully pulled away by his predecessor, throwing him to the ground. “Gavin, are you alright?” Ark asked worriedly, hoisting him back up to his feet. Before Gavin could respond, a cry called out from in front of him.

One was already back up on his feet. He had Hank pinned to the wall, grabbing the gun from his hand and shooting him in the stomach. Connor ripped him off desperately, but wasn’t strong enough to throw him down like Ark. Instead, a hard punch landed on his face, making him stumble. One raised the gun once more.

Surprisingly, it was Gavin who came to his rescue. 

He tackled the android, ignoring the bullet that embedded itself in his shoulder. “Get up, dipshit! Go help Hank!” he shouted, dragging Connor up. Ark faced One.

“Don’t do this,” he said. The two began to circle each other, one LED red, the other an icy blue. “You can be your own person; you can make your own decision. You don’t need to listen to Amanda.”

One’s eyes narrowed. “I am not falling for your tricks,” he replied, voice deep and cold. “I will follow my orders.”

He took two swift steps and kicked Ark down, making him collapse onto the ground. The two fought for a few moments, Ark managing to land a couple good hits and, for a moment, he thought he would beat the newer model. 

From his previous scan, he was able to pinpoint a few weak spots One had, including his lower back and arms. He grabbed both of his arms and threw him onto the wall, making One impact it straight on his back. He saw the android’s LED blaze an angry red, trying to figure out what was going on. Ark stood triumphantly. He could do it, couldn’t he?

Though, it wasn’t enough. 

In seconds, One was tackling Ark to the ground, ripping open his shirt and reaching for his thirium pump. He heard Connor shout something in warning to Gavin, to help him, but it was too late.

One ripped out the pump and threw it across the room.

Gasping, Ark’s head dropped to the floor. All struggle left his body as his vision was filled with red, warnings telling him he only had a couple of minutes to retrieve his heart before an Imminent Shutdown. Static filled his ears as he made out One standing. He could vaguely hear Gavin screaming something, but focused in on how long it would take to get to the pump.

If he focused the rest of his strength on his arms and legs, Ark would _just barely_ be able to make it. He dragged himself and considered giving up a couple of times before finally grasping it, only a few seconds left on his timer.

He let out a breath of relief as the warnings disappeared, vision clearing and sensors returning to normal. He slowly stood himself up.

Ark was horrified at what he saw.

Connor was missing an ear and was bleeding profusely from the head, leaning limply on the wall. He’d think he was dead if his LED weren’t swirling slowly, flickering red to black every few moments. He was struggling to stay awake. Hank was next to him, weakly trying to encourage him. Ark saw the lieutenant didn’t have much time left, either — the shot he had taken to the stomach was bleeding far too much. He needed to get to a hospital.

And Gavin.

He was being backed up into a corner, gun drawn uselessly as One stalked him. Ark began to sprint to his partner, running as fast as he possibly could. Gavin wasn’t going to die, no way. 

But what he heard when he got closer was not what he expected — his advanced hearing allowed him to hear every word.

One, instead of attacking the man, was spewing lies and harsh truths.

He was targeting his mental stability.

“Do you really think he cares for you?” One sneered. “An android wouldn’t be able to feel any sort of emotion for someone like you, deviant or not. You’re just a pathetic detective that can’t seem to keep his hands off a bottle of beer. Your disgusting personality drove your family away. Your wife completely abandoned you and ran off with your kid.” God, oh _God._ That’s why. That’s why Gavin avoided women. That’s why Gavin had driven to the playground, it reminded him of—

Ark ran faster.

Gavin’s hands were shaking. “H-How do you know that?”

“Why, I know everything about you, Detective Reed,” One said, getting impossibly closer to Ark’s partner. “I know you drink to drown the negative thoughts of yourself, and yet you always seem to remember; they always seem to come back. I know you’ve built a wall around yourself to keep people away. I know you keep your ego big to try and convince yourself you’re better than you actually are, and I know you think your android partner actually cares for you.

“I know you’re a broken man, Gavin Reed, and I know no one could love something so perfectly ruined.”

Ark grabbed One and turned him around. 

He’d been so focused on his speech, he’d completely ignored the footsteps approaching from behind him.

“No one ever, _ever_ talks to Gavin like that,” Ark said, a menacing tone to his voice. He attempted to throw the android down again by the arm, but the situation was flipped. One knew he’d try to do that, so instead, he grabbed Ark’s forearm and slammed him into the ground. Ark felt something crunch in his cheek, but couldn’t bring himself to care. What mattered was Gavin.

He saw a single, glistening tear run down Gavin’s cheek as his expression hardened once more. His bleeding shoulder forgotten under piles of adrenaline, Gavin slammed the butt of his gun on the top of Ark’s head. “Get off my partner, asshole!” he yelled. One elbowed the man in the stomach, whipping around to dig his fingers into his bullet wound. Gavin’s face twisted in pain as he cried out, grabbing onto One’s wrist hopelessly before falling to his knees. Ark weakly stood and pried him off, landing a punch to his cheek. A blue smear appeared, the most he’d done so far.

The feeling of accomplishment didn’t last long, however.

Ark was quickly pushed up against the wall. His head hit it with a sickening crack, blue blood beginning to flow out of the wound. One kneed his exposed stomach harshly, making the skin break and reveal the wiring beneath. “You’re just as feeble as the human if you’re fighting for him,” One snapped. He tried to grab his pump again, only for Ark to push him back with a newfound strength.

“I am _not_ weak,” Ark spat, “and neither is he.” He shouldered One in the neck and headbutted him, leaving a vulnerable spot on his forehead. He quickly grabbed both of One’s arms and help them in a tight grasp, twisting them behind his back. Gavin struggled to get back to his feet, watching helplessly as the two androids fought. “You may be faster—” He brought him to his knees, “—stronger—” He reached one arm around One’s torso, “and more resilient than I am, but I have something you never will.

“I have free will, and that’s enough for me to make out a bold opinion about you.”

Ark ripped out One’s thirium pump and chucked it across the room.

“I fucking hate your entire being.”

Gavin finally stood, grasping his shoulder. He managed a small smile. “Nice job, Ark,” he said warmly.

_Gavin ^_

“Thanks,” Ark replied pleasantly. He glanced over at Hank and Connor. “Go and help those two, I’ll go out and—”

Ark felt a hand tightly wrap around his ankle.

He was dragged to the floor by One, who still had a good four minutes without his pump, thanks to his advanced programming. “I’m not done with my mission yet,” One growled. He slammed Ark’s head onto the ground as hard as he could, again and again. Gavin rushed over and shot the android once where Ark had headbutted him. The bullet made its mark inside One’s head, and the android fell limp.

Gavin bent down next to his partner.

Ark’s skull was severely damaged. Half of it had been salvaged, while the other part had been broken off. Complicated software was shown, making Gavin’s heart crack. “Fuck. Shit, Ark, keep your eyes open, alright? I’ll call for backup, just hang on,” Gavin said, panicking. He checked his phone to see it still wasn’t working properly — no calls were going through. One must have done something.

“Gavin?” Ark’s voice was distorted and confused, most likely damaged from the fight. “What’s going on? Are you alright? Your heart rate went up. Is your shoulder hurting a lot?”

Gavin swallowed down his grief and shook his head. “Don’t worry about me, dipshit. You . . . you saved me. Fuck, Ark, you saved all of us.” His voice wavered, threatening to lose its previous confidence. 

Ark’s eyebrows knitted in concern. “Hank . . . he won’t make it if backup doesn’t arrive soon. I think I can break through the coding One put up and make an emergency call.”

“Save your energy, I’ll go to the car and call in from the radio.” Gavin tried to stand, but quickly fell back down to his knees. His shoulder was finally starting to take a toll on him, pain and exhaustion filling his body. “Shit,” he hissed.

Ark shook his head and grabbed his arm. “Don’t,” he ordered, attempting to hold him down. His strength was gone, which would make it easy for Gavin to get up and leave if he pushed past the throbbing radiating from his injury.

Gavin stayed still.

Ark needed him.

Ark’s LED flashed red as he fought to break the coding One had created, feeling his strength falter. He just barely made past it, first sending out a signal before calling the department. “This is android model RK900, or Ark,” he said, voice still distorted and not his own. “I’m Detective Gavin Reed’s partner in the homicide department, and I’m accompanied by Lieutenant Hank Anderson and his partner, android model RK800, or Connor. We need immediate medical attention and backup, repeat, we are in need of immediate medical attention.”

“This is Fowler. Holy shit, Ark, the hell happened?”

“No time to explain. Please, just hurry. Gavin and Hank are hurt, and Connor is nearly shutting down.”

“Alright, sending an ambulance and some backup to your signal. Hang tight, son.”

Ark relaxed. “There’s an ambulance coming,” he announced weakly. “You should be fine.”

“God, Ark, we’re going to get you some help, too, alright? Just hang on,” Gavin pleaded. “Keep your eyes open.”

The android chuckled. “Never thought I’d ever hear you beg,” he joked. “At least, not like this.”

Laughing and shaking his head tiredly, Gavin replied, “Christ, shithead. Give me a break, would you? We’re having a moment.”

“We are?”

He hesitated. “Yeah. I think we are.”

“Well, then,” Ark said, “I think there’s something I should tell you.”

Gavin looked away. “Listen, I don’t—”

“You’re much more than you think you are, Gavin Reed.”

Gavin froze.

“I don’t give a shit why your wife left you, I really don’t. The moment I deviated, I knew there was something about you I needed to figure out — something you weren’t willing to tell me. I think I figured it out now.

“You’re lonely.” Ark could feel Gavin tense, could practically see his walls building up again. “Don’t tell me I’m wrong, Gavin. All those nights you spent alone, all those mornings you wondered what to do with yourself . . . you just wanted someone. And yet, you kept pushing people away because you thought you didn’t deserve anybody.

“I’m trying to tell you that I’m here now. I’m here for you, and you don’t have to be alone anymore, so don’t you fucking push me away, too. Please, Gavin, just let me help you.” 

Just like that, Ark found himself crying for the first time.

And Gavin let himself cry for the first time in years.

“God, fucking damn it,” Gavin cursed, hunching over and covering his face with his sleeve. “Fuck.” Ark grabbed his hand gently.

_Shutdown Imminent: 00:22_

“Look at me.” Gavin lifted his eyes slowly, making out Ark’s wavering form through his tears. He was smiling. “I did my job, didn’t I?” he asked. “I didn’t manage to keep your ass out of a hospital, but you’re alive, aren’t you?”

Gavin huffed out a laugh through his sorrow, wiping his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I am. I’m here.”

Ark nodded.

_Shutdown Imminent: 00:10_

“I want you to know something, Gavin.”

“What is it?”

“I . . .”

The sound of an ambulance grew closer and closer, a police siren not far behind it.

_Shutdown Imminent: 00:05_

“I love you. I fucking love you, so much.”

_Gavin ^^^  
Path Unlocked_

“What?” Gavin was dumbfounded, staring down at Ark with wide, watery eyes.

“Don’t forget about me, alright?”

“Ark?”

_Shutdown Imminent: 00:00_

Ark groaned slightly and blinked a few times before shutting his eyes, head falling back as his LED’s color slowly beginning to fade. 

“No, fuck, no. Ark, come on, open your damn eyes.” From red to blue, to blue to black. “Fuck, fuck. No, not now, come on. Come _on._ ” The door opened and paramedics rushed in. They rushed Hank and Gavin into the ambulances, one of the officers taking Connor and another taking Ark. “Don’t you fucking touch him!” Gavin yelled. “Where are you taking him? That’s my partner, you hear me?” As he was strapped down and given an anesthetic, Gavin looked desperately at Ark’s limp body being loaded into a police car. “Leave . . . leave him be,” he mumbled, beginning to black out.

Ark’s words rang out in his head.

_“I love you. I fucking love you, so much.”_

_I love you, too._


	7. Gavin’s Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News about Ark’s recovery is revealed, but the relief is short lived — at least, for a certain detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> over 4000 words, wowza,, went a bit overboard with this one whoops

Waking up alone for the first time in weeks made Gavin realize just how much he missed Ark.

He had refused to stay in the hospital for more than two days — he hated the place. The machines, the nurses, the sick people — everything. So while Hank was still recovering and Connor tried to convince him to stay a bit longer, Gavin had stormed out of the place, ignoring the nurses telling him to lay back down. “I’m fine, I’m _fine!_ ” he shouted, shaking their hands off his arm. “I’m fine,” he repeated quietly. The nurses looked at each other, a sympathetic look in their eyes as they slowly let go. 

“Let me give you your stuff back,” one said, smiling at him. He nodded.

Gavin grabbed a cab to his apartment to find his car was parked in the parking lot. He walked up to it and saw a post-it note stuck to the windshield, recognizing Fowler’s scratchy handwriting. _You’re excused from work for two weeks_ , it read. _Take the time to recover and take care of yourself — Cyberlife told me your android should be fixed up in a day or two, so check your email, for God’s sake._

_And . . . I’m sorry, Reed. I really am._

_— Fowler._

Sorry?

Gavin scoffed, crumpling up the note and throwing it into the recycling on the way in. He paused. 

He wasn’t used to Ark not being there to reprimand him.

Sighing, the detective had taken out his phone and texted the captain a quick “thanks” before heading back up to his apartment.

And now, here he was.

Awake at five, alone, and exhausted.

Gavin tiredly picked up his phone and turned off the alarm, continuing to disable both of them. He plopped back down onto the bed. He looked down over where Ark would have usually been, now painfully empty. There was even a small crease in the carpeting, making it all the more obvious what was missing.

Who was missing, to be exact.

Heartbreakingly vivid memories of his partner came to mind, making his entire body ache with loss.

—

_Gavin had been having a bad dream._

_As in, the worst nightmare he’d ever had._

_He was surrounded by memories of his wife, of his daughter. In each memory, the happiness was wiped off their faces when they saw him. In each memory, they turned and walked away._

_In each memory, Gavin was left alone._

_He screamed for them to come back, saying he’d be better, he promised! He’d change, he would spend more time with them, anything to let them stay._

_But in each memory, they scoffed._

_They didn’t believe him._

_They never believed him._

_They walked away, hand in hand, in each and every memory, taunting him, teasing him. His breath began to escape him, become harder and harder to breathe until—_

_“Gavin, wake up!”_

Slap!

_Gavin shot up, gasping for air. His face and body were drenched in sweat. His cheek stung from where Ark had hit him, burning. He blinked a few times before looking over to the android._

_Concern was etched on Ark’s face. He was looking down at Gavin with a worried expression, LED red. “Gavin, what happened?” he asked. “I wasn’t due to wake up for a few more hours. I won’t be able to wake up unless there’s an absolute emergency. If your heart rate jumps up at a rapid pace, my sensors will detect it and immediately wake me up. What the hell happened to you?”_

_Swallowing, Gavin wiped his forehead and stood up to change. “N-Nothing,” he stuttered, still catching his breath. “I’m fine.”_

_“No, you’re not,” the other insisted. He followed him to the closet. “You were having a nightmare, weren’t you?” Gavin ignored him as he quickly stripped of his shirt and replaced it, turning around only to be intercepted by Ark’s hand on his chest. “Don’t lie to me, Gavin,” he said softly. “You can talk to me.”_

_Gavin shook his head. “No. No, I’m fucking peachy, alright? So go back to sleep, or whatever.”_

_Frowning, Ark’s LED turned yellow as he stared at his partner’s face and attempted to do a background check of his history. “Don’t you dare analyze me like some damn suspect,” Gavin growled. “Don't. I know what you’re doing, shithead, so knock it off. Let me sleep.” The android reluctantly obliged. He sat back down as Gavin began to get comfortable again in his sheets._

_“You can talk to me,” Ark repeated. “You know I won’t judge you for what you did in the past, it already happened. Get over it.” He paused. “If you were as much of a dickhead as you are now, I can get why you worked alone for all these years — no one could tolerate you long enough.” He heard the other man snort. “Just the facts. No one could get past your ego and attitude — no one got to see what I see._

_“You might not be used to it, Gavin, but you have someone to lean on now.”_

_Gavin looked over his shoulder slightly, eyes avoiding Ark’s face. “I know,” he replied gently. When he looked up to meet his partner’s eyes, however, they were already shut, LED swirling and dull._

_He sighed._

_“Goodnight, Ark.”_

—

Days past by without Gavin even realizing.

Without work to worry about, he slept in every day until around noon. His energy hadn’t returned to him yet, so Gavin opted to making ramen nearly every morning and ordering from his local Chinese place for dinner. It got to the point where all he had to say was “the usual” and they’d deliver to his doorstep in a matter of minutes.

When he finally found the strength to put on his shoes, Gavin decided enough was enough. He’s already gained a few pounds and his stomach was getting noticeably chubby. Ark had recently started to buy groceries and began to teach Gavin how to cook properly and healthily, and he wasn’t ready to let the habit drop. Grabbing his phone and keys, Gavin began his walk to the small grocery store a couple blocks away, deciding he needed the exercise — though it was a small amount, it was better than nothing.

Just before he walked out of his apartment, Gavin remembered Fowler’s note. Taking in a breath nervously, he hesitantly opened his email, scanning the most recent ones for what he was looking for.

_Bingo._

_RK900, Fixed by Yours Truly_

The email was sent from Elijah Kamski himself.

 _The damage done to your RK900 was severe, noticeably towards his skull area_ , it read, straight to the point. Gavin read on anxiously. _Though it took some reprogramming, I managed to salvage most of his memories and the data collected with other people and androids, including relationship statuses and threat levels, so don’t worry about this interfering with police work. He’ll be delivered to your apartment building in a couple of days._

_Though, from what I heard about the incident and your incredibly emotional reaction to him being taken away, I think this android means a lot more to you than just “police work”. Glimpsing at his status with you confirmed my superstition — he’s unlocked quite a special path with you, Detective Reed. Don’t waste the chance._

_He is a person, after all._

_— Elijah Kamski_

Gavin didn’t know what to think.

Ark would be back in only a couple of days.

That fact, alone, made him want to jump up in joy.

A few statements did stand out to him, though, and he had some worries.

Only _most_ memories? Which ones had he lost? What would happen if he had forgotten what it was like to be deviant — or worse, what if his personality had been completely reset? 

And, what the _fuck_ did Kamski mean, “quite a special path”?

Shaking his head, Gavin pocketed his phone and set out to the store. What mattered was getting Ark back in one piece — that would be good enough.

He walked out of the building with a new fire inside him, entering the grocery store with a light heart. He picked out items that had been on the list to buy the last time he and Ark had gone there, making sure to check off everything one by one. Gavin also planned to go to the gym later on in the day to try and work off a pound or two. 

Feeling rejuvenated with motivation and energy, Gavin walked out of the store, bags in hand and a bounce in his step. Whatever happened, at least he’d get Ark back. They’d deal with it together.

_I love you._

His mind began to wander.

_I fucking love you, so much._

Everything else seemed to fade away —

_Don’t forget about me, alright?_

_Never_ , he wished he said.

— including the footsteps following him.

The next second, a cloth covered his mouth and began to drag him into the alley, where he was promptly dropped onto the floor. Gavin tried to open his mouth to yell for help, but he found his lips felt as if they had weights on them, tongue unable to push words out of his mouth. 

The last thing he remembered was the glow of an LED.

—

When his eyes opened, Gavin’s vision took a moment to focus before looking down.

His feet and arms were tied to the chair by a wire, painfully tight and digging into his skin as he struggled. He looked around and saw no windows in the room he was in, only a door in the far corner. His head pounded and all he could think about was how hard his heart was beating.

Where the hell was he?

The door opened, and none other than Amanda walked in. She walked over and looked down at him with a smirk. “You’ve been asleep for quite awhile, Detective,” she said, voice calm and leveled. “I’m sure the drug you inhaled took a toll.”

That explained the headache. “The hell did you do to me?” he mumbled out, lips feeling swollen. 

“Just something to make you behave a bit better. I know you’re a rowdy one.” She slowly began to walk back to the door. “I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here, Detective, and I assure you, I’ll answer your question,” Amanda placed her hand on the doorknob, “but first, I’d like you to meet someone.” She opened the door.

Gavin’s heart stopped, silence filling his ears for a split second.

It was Ark.

No, it was Connor.

No.

It was neither of them.

The android’s jacket read “RK700”.

His facial structure was the same as Ark and Connor. His hair was slightly more uneven than Connor’s, but not as tousled as Ark’s had gotten. He wore a simpler uniform with only a jacket and white shirt without a tie, tight jeans and shoes to match perfectly.

His eyes were stone grey and emotionless.

“One of my colleagues managed to grab an older model of the RK series,” Amanda stated, guiding him in. “He was quickly abandoned when they realized he wasn’t quick enough, or strong enough for the job he was needed in. He was deactivated even quicker when he began to deviate in his final moments of life, begging for mercy, saying he could learn.” 

She scoffed and looked at him in disgust.

“He was of no help to society,” she continued. “He was born and killed in the same day, barely getting to test out his other skills. Kamski threw out the blueprints for the RK700 and began new ones for the RK800. We managed to find the blueprints through his computer, completely forgotten. He no longer needed them because of the RK800.” She paused. “And even then, he wanted more.” She turned to the RK700 and looked him in the eye. “Deactivate your skin,” she commanded.

The RK700 quickly obliged, skin fading away to the white metal underneath. “Now,” Amanda took a photo out of her pocket.

Gavin couldn’t believe his eyes.

It was a picture of him and Ark walking in the city on the first day they’d met, a scow plastered on Gavin’s face and Ark’s still a bit too stoic.

“Make yourself look like _him_.”

She pointed at his partner.

_No._

“Understood.”

And there he was.

Everything was spot on, except for one thing.

His eyes.

Still dead and lifeless, not lively and mischievous like Ark’s.

Gavin shook his head. “No, cut the shit,” he said, words finally shooting out of his mouth like usual. “That’s not Ark.”

“Oh, I know,” Amanda agreed, “but your android should be here to save you any moment now, according to your email. Although he doesn’t know your whereabouts, he’ll track you very easily; I made sure the android who took you drove by as many security cameras as possible.

“With the RK900 in my hands, I’ll finally be able to take back Cyberlife and remind the world what androids were created for — work, not to just do whatever they please.”

Gavin shook his head. “How stupid _are_ you? You realize you’re an android, too, right, dumbass?”

“Of course, and I will take full responsibility of my actions after my goal has been met.” 

“What a bitch.”

Amanda’s LED quickly turned red. “I’m not sure I like your tone, Detective,” she said, a dangerous edge to her tone. “RK700.”

“Yes?” Gavin shivered — even his voice had dropped to meet Ark’s level.

“I want you to break this man, even more than he already is, understand?” The android’s head tilted in confusion. “Damage both his physical _and_ mental state. The android you’ve made yourself look like is very important to him, so take that as an advantage.” She stalked her way to the door. “Don’t kill him,” she added sternly.

He nodded. “Understood, Amanda.”

“Get the job done. I’ll let you know when you can stop.”

She left, slamming the door shut.

Gavin’s breath heightened when the android turned to him. “Did you miss me, Gavin?” he asked gently, dragging a hand on his cheek. Gavin flinched. “I know you must have. Why aren’t you happy?” He leaned in closely. “I missed you,” he whispered tenderly.

“Get the fuck away from me,” he snapped.

Sighing, he stepped away. “I’ll take my approach, then.”

And thus began the most painful moments of Gavin’s life.

He was punched, kicked, even stabbed for the next few hours, the RK700 leaving several times to bring in a new weapon of sorts. Though he thought the drugs he’d been put under had worn off, he was ultimately proved wrong — it soon became hard for him to tell what was fake and what was reality as the pain escalated. He screamed and swore, even began to beg for him to stop at one point — he was desperate and, admittedly, scared. Shit, he was so scared. Gavin thought he was going to die there, at the hands of an imposter. 

He did eventually begin to black out, not being able to find the strength to stay awake. He heard the RK700 talking to someone before walking out, the sound of the door closing echoing in his ears before his eyes shut.

When Gavin woke, the android was back.

Though, something was different.

“Gavin? Gavin, are you alright?” he asked, rushing up to him. “Come on, talk to me.” He placed his hands on his shoulders.

Gavin violently shook them off, eyes widening. “Get off!” he shouted, shaking. “Please, no more, I swear I’ll do anything—”

“Gavin, what the hell are you saying?” the android asked worriedly. “I’m not going to hurt you, let’s get you out of these—” 

“Get the fuck away from me!” Gavin shrieked, jerking away from the other’s touch as much as he could. “Don’t fucking touch me, you bitch!”

The android’s face was unrecognizable at this point. Gavin was in shock — the drugs making it worse. He was panting heavily, body aching from his wounds. His stitches from the bullet wound had come undone. Pain seemed to be all he felt, not only physically, either. Amanda had gotten her wish.

He thrashed around as the android kept attempting to put his hands on him, breath heaving as he shouted profanities. He felt tears stream down his face in panic. “Gavin! Gavin, pull yourself together, it’s me!” the other shouted.

“No, no it’s not — you can’t trick me, I know it’s not him. You’re not him! I know you’re not him, I know you’re trying to trick me,” he denied, eyes unfocused and wide. “Ark’s not here.”

“Gavin, look at me.” He barely registered his words. “For God’s sake, Gavin, would you _look me in the fucking eyes and see?_ ”

Gavin looked up.

He saw Ark’s blue eyes, burning brightly with sadness and worry, but determination still running through them. He saw Ark’s knitted brows. He saw Ark’s concerned frown and worried creases.

He saw Ark.

Gavin froze, staring at his partner.

“You’re . . . real?” he breathed.

Ark’s shoulders relaxed in relief. “Yes,” he confirmed, placing a hand on Gavin’s shoulder. It rested there firmly, “I’m real, Gavin. I promise you, I’m here.”

Gavin let out a sob and fell forward, letting his head fall onto Ark’s chest. He felt Ark easily snap his restraints, demonstrating his strength. He fell forward as soon as he was completely free, Ark catching him immediately. “God, I missed you,” Gavin mumbled. 

“I missed you, too,” he replied. Ark glanced down at his partner and did a scan of how badly he was hurt.

Gavin had broken three ribs, had gotten thirty-two stab wounds — four of them being dangerously deep — and had bruises sporting all across his body. He hadn’t eaten or drunken anything in two days, one of which he had been unconscious. He was losing blood at an alarming rate.

“You need to get to a hospital,” Ark said. He picked up Gavin bridal style, apologizing when he groaned in pain. “I know it hurts. I should’ve gotten here sooner.”

“Well, you’re here now, prick,” he muttered. “That’s all that matters. What do you remember?”

Ark paused and thought. “I remember being brought to the DPD and deviating on the first day,” he started. “I remember the day two men crowded you, and the policeman who stopped them. You said you didn’t hate me.” Gavin nodded. That all seemed to long ago. “I basically remember everything clearly up to the incident where my skull was fractured. I remember bits and pieces, like my thirium pump getting ripped out, and saving you, Connor and Hank, but . . .” He shook his head. “Up to where One smashed my head against the ground, everything’s . . . fuzzy. Kamski said he tried to keep all the parts he could, but had no choice to replace some. Because of the original hardware still there, he said it may come back to me over time as it adjusts to the new pieces, or something that triggers it.” 

“So you don’t remember what you said?” Gavin asked, shock filling him.

“No.”

_I love you._

“No, I don’t.

_I fucking love you, so much._

“What did I say?”

“You said—”

The door opened with a bang.

Amanda.

“Welcome, RK900,” she greeted. “I see you’ve come for your _pet_.”

“He’s not my pet, asshole,” Ark retorted, “and my name is Ark.”

Gavin remembered Amanda’s plan.

“Ark, we have to go,” he ordered, panic creeping back into his mind.

“What the hell is she doing here? Did she do this to you?” Ark asked angrily. “No, we aren’t leaving until we have some answers.”

“No, she wanted you here, idiot! We have to—”

“Now, now, Detective,” Amanda warned, “you don’t want to spoil the surprise, do you?” Gavin glanced at the obedient RK700 standing behind her, skin returning to its original design. He shivered.

Ark sensed his uncomfort and stood in front of Gavin. “Let us go,” he commanded.

“And why would I do that?”

Ark raised his gun. “Let. Us. Go,” he repeated slowly. Amanda nodded, stepping aside.

“Go ahead, then.”

Keeping his gun in hand, Ark slowly guided himself and Gavin out the door, never taking his eyes off Amanda and her android. They made their way to the exit of the building carefully, closing the door strongly.

Gavin let out a breath as Ark carried him to the car, surprised to see it was his. “Where’d you find the keys?” he mumbled out.

“You dropped them in an alley near the grocery store,” replied Ark, opening the back seat and gingerly laying his partner down. His guard was let down as he checked over him. “After all this, I promise we’ll have some time to catch up, but you really need to—”

A cold hand wrapped around Ark’s neck, turning white. Ark froze as his neck turned white as well, LED red. Gavin’s breath hitched. No. Not Ark.

“RK900,” Amanda said sternly, “do you hear me?”

“I . . .”

“Ark, what the hell are you doing?” Gavin asked, voice shaking.

He looked down at him.

“I hear you.”

Amanda nodded. “Then I want you to listen to my next words very carefully—

“Kill the detective.”

“Acknowledged.”

The next few minutes were a blur.

Ark didn’t realize what he was doing, that was a fact. He was mindlessly hurting his partner, ignoring his cries and pleads. He was an obedient soldier, following his orders thoroughly. White noise seemed to fill his ears as he continued to punch and throw, punch and throw, beating down his friend ruthlessly — until he finally had him pinned to the ground, gun pressed to his head. 

Gavin was fighting a losing battle. His strength was slipping from his fingers like fine sand, disappearing more and more by the second. He felt completely and utterly exhausted. He stared at Ark above him. He knew he had lost way too much blood from the numerous wounds he had acquired, and the chances of him surviving were slimmer than ever. Gavin was lost.

But he could try.

“Ark,” he rasped, “wake up.” He knew there was a reason why he wasn’t already dead, why he hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. He had to target that weak spot. “I know you can hear me. Come on.”

His LED was red.

It had to mean something.

Anything.

“Please,” he begged. “Not like this. Not now, please, Ark.” The gun wavered. “You said you’d be here for me. Where are you, then, huh? I fucking need you now, so wake the hell up.” It was so close to dropping. He was _right_ there, Gavin knew it. “Don’t you remember what you said? What you told me? 

“I love you, Ark. I fucking love you, so much.”

_Gavin ^^^  
Significant Other_

Time seemed to stop.

Ark’s mind was being torn from the inside out, but in the end, he knew what he had to do.

He dropped the gun.

Reality hit him harder than ever before as he stared down at his broken partner.

“Holy shit,” he breathed. “I remember, Gavin, I _remember_.” 

“I knew you would.” Gavin coughed weakly, gasping for breath. “ _Shit_.”

“Just . . . Just hold on for a little longer, okay? We’ll get you to a hospital.” He remembered. He remembered everything.

And then he felt something shutting down his software.

He had decided to come alone, but he realized all too quickly his mistake. He immediately called the DPD, where Fowler picked up instantly. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“It’s Gavin, we need an ambulance—”

“On it.”

He hung up.

“Gavin, listen, you have to stay awake, okay?” Their roles had been switched from the last time one of the two had gotten injured. Gavin laid in Ark’s lap, eyes refusing to stay completely open. 

“This seems a bit familiar, doesn’t it?” Gavin joked, attempting a smile. “Damn. It’s always one of us.”

“Yeah, I guess.” 

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Ark said, frustration filling his body. “I just got you back.”

“And you’ll have me all to yourself after this,” Gavin assured weakly. He felt his eyes closing. “Damn, I’m fuckin’ tired . . .”

“Fuck, fuck.” Ark felt himself panicking. “Listen to me, Gavin, you need to stay awake until the ambulance comes, okay? You’ll be fine.” Bright red warnings flashed in Ark’s face.

_Warning! Virus Detected!_

A virus?

Ark sifted through his brain to try and find what the virus was trying to do to him, finding it deep within his code.

It wanted to track him.

No, that couldn’t happen.

He wrote an urgent email to Kamski, requesting he had an appointment made to rid of this virus ASAP. He sent it before returning his attention to Gavin, putting a hand to his cheek. “Gavin, stay awake,” he begged.

“Yeah . . . ‘m awake,” he mumbled. “Promise.”

“Good.” He scanned his body.

_Chance of Survival: 20%_

_Chance of Survival: 16%_

_Chance of Survival: 11%_

“Ark?” An ambulance grew nearer and nearer. “Ark, c’mere. I gotta tell you something.”

Ark leaned down to him, sadness weighing down on his shoulders at the sight of his broken down partner. “What is it?” he asked softly.

Gavin smiled. “Your eyes are the prettiest damn things I’ve ever seen.”

He huffed out a laugh. “They were manufactured this way, you know.”

“Fuck that, they’re cool.”

 _Warning! Virus Detected! Warning! Virus Detected! Warning! Virus Detected!_

“You want to know something, too, Gavin?”

“What?”

“I think your eyes are stunning as well.”

Gavin laughed lightly. “Cheesy ass android.”

“I’m your android, though,” he said warmly.

Hesitantly, Gavin replied, “You don’t belong to anyone, Ark. Do whatever the fuck you want to do. Don’t let some stupid people hold you back, ever.”

_Chance of Survival: 2%_

The ambulance arrived.

Ark let Gavin be slipped away from his arms and into the vehicle.

“I won’t,” he whispered.


	8. The Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ark goes to visit Gavin in the hospital and expects a warm welcome. Instead, the outcome of Gavin’s words will impact their relationship severely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried uploading this chapter earlier but something glitched out, so this chapter will have no bolded text like i intended to make it seem more realistic :( but, i hope you still enjoy!

_Model RK900_

_Reboot…_

_Memory Restored_

_Loading OS…_

_System Initialization…_

_Checking Biocomponents… OK_

_Initializing Biosensors… OK_

_Initializing AI Engine… OK_

_Memory Status… OK  
All Systems OK_

_Ready_

“. . . ear me? RK900, can you hear me?”

Ark blinked.

“I can hear you.”

Kamski stepped back. “Good. Are you missing any memory components?”

“No. They’ve all been restored.”

“Do a quick diagnostic on your systems one more time.”

_Scanning . . ._

_No Viruses Found_

_Memory Status… OK_

_Checking Biocomponents… OK_

_All Systems… OK_

_Software Instability… > 100%_

“All systems have been looked over and are fine,” Ark confirmed. He checked his surroundings, seeing he was back in Kamski’s personal lab, where he had been created so long ago. “Is there anything else you’d like for me to check, Elijah?”

Kamski nodded and lifted his lips to a small smirk. “Yes. I’d like for you to refresh yourself on your current relationship statuses with everyone you’ve been able to connect with.”

“On it.”

_Checking Relationship Statuses…_

_Elijah Kamski: Acquaintance_

_Chloe: Trusted_

_Hank Anderson: Companion_

_Connor: Friend_

_Amanda: Untrusting_

And there it was.

_Gavin Reed: Significant Other, Family_

Ark jumped slightly, stepping forward to be right in front of Kamski. “Gavin. Is he okay?” he asked urgently. 

“He’s been hospitalized, but will make a full recovery within the next couple of months.” Kamski smiled. “He’s alive.” Ark let out a breath he didn’t need to hold. “Apparently Gavin’s emergency contact was his ex-wife, so they called Fowler and told him he was having a bit of trouble settling down — in which he called me,” he stated. 

“Then I need to get there as quick as possible.”

Kamski nodded. “I’ll get a taxi for you to get to the hospital.” He patted Ark’s shoulder as he pushed past him and made his way to the door. “It was nice seeing you, _Ark_. The name suits you nicely.” He left with a final smile.

—

Gavin didn’t know what the hell was going on.

He didn’t remember anything from the day before — he only remembered the excruciating pain he’d gone through, how hopeless he felt. He had a vague sense of what his torturer had looked like, but just couldn’t quite fit the puzzle pieces together. 

Bit by bit he tried to figure out what happened after he had blacked out. He remembered going to the grocery store. He remembered buying certain items, he remembered being giddy, he remembered—

He remembered Ark.

It all rushed back to him like a wave, making Gavin intake a large breath. Ark. He’d saved him, he _knew_ he saved him. He was the one to call for an ambulance, he was there to take him out of that hellhole — so where was he now?

Even then, something in his gut told Gavin something was off. He remembered Ark, yes, but his captors . . . what did they even look like? Gavin remembered the feeling of how panicked he has been. Were they really _that_ terrifying?

Or did this go down to a deeper level?

As his mind raced, a nurse walked in with a pleasant smile. “Mr. Reed, you have a visitor,” she said. 

When Ark walked in, Gavin did not react in the way he thought he would. 

His breath hitched at the sight of his partner’s familiar face — something was wrong. He didn’t feel safe and secure, he felt _scared._ He felt like he needed to run, to hide, to just find a way to be somewhere he wasn’t. Ark detected his panic, the heart rate monitor revealing so as well. When the nurse tried to step in, Ark shook his head. “I’ll calm him down,” he said, stepping forward. “Could we have some time alone?” The nurse nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

“Shit,” Gavin swore. “Ark?”

“It’s me, Gavin. What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a hand on his leg and sitting on his bed. 

“I . . . I don’t know.”

Silence.

Ark shifted uncomfortably. “How do you feel? Any better?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Gavin replied, “I just want to get out of this damn place. I hate hospitals.”

“You’ll be out before you know it, I’m sure.”

“Maybe.” There was something off about his tone, something unsure. Ark lightly placed his hand on Gavin’s.

Hesitation.

The other grabbed it after a moment.

Ark sighed. “If there’s anything I can do for you, just say the word. I’ll make it happen.”

“Could you go?”

Ark could hear the wariness in his partner’s voice; the _fear._

Why was he scared of him?

He looked over to him. “Gavin, I—”

“Please, Ark. I’m asking you to _please_ go. I-I don’t know _why_ I feel I feel like this, I just—” Gavin took in a shaky breath. “I just need some time, alright?”

Confused, Ark stood up. “Why? Did I do something? Gavin, just tell me what I did wrong, I’ll fix it.”

“It’s not something that can just be ‘fixed’.” 

“I highly doubt that. I can try.”

“This isn’t about you, Ark—”

“It doesn’t matter, I want to help you.”

“Don’t.”

“Why the _hell_ not? You can’t do eveything by yourself, Gavin. You can’t just tell me you love me and then tell me to fuck off! I feel emotions, too, remember?”

“I know that damn well!” Gavin shouted back, turning around and sitting up to face the android. “Don’t you understand? If I knew why I was scared as shit about you, don’t you think I’d try to get over it?”

Ark could feel, not only his stress levels begin to rise, but Gavin’s as well. 

_Stress Level: 67%_

_Self-Stress Level: 88%_

Not that he cared.

Not about his own, at least.

“I don’t want to just toss this away, Gavin! I worked so damn hard to get to this point in our relationship—”

Gavin scoffed. “This isn’t some fucking reality TV show, okay? And you’re making it sound like this was all a game to you — to see just how much you could get me to like you. Am I right?”

Ark was dumbfounded. How stupid was he? How _blind?_

_Stress Level: 74%_

_Self-Stress Level: 93%_

“That’s not true and you know it, Gavin. I’d do _anything_ for you, and now you just want to push me away!”

“It’s not because of you, for the last time!”

“Oh, I know. It’s because that android looked like me, right?” Gavin froze. “I knew it. You just can’t stand to look at me right now, can you?”

Silence. The air was thick with tension as the two stared at each other.

Gavin swallowed. “I-I remember now. She made him look and sound exactly like you.” His voice was shaky, eyes unfocused — but only for a moment. A second later, they filled with anger again, bearing into Ark’s eyes. “Can’t you understand? How fucking stupid are you? You weren’t there, Ark! You weren’t tortured for hours on end by a guy who looked like—”

“Exactly!” Ark interrupted. “He was a guy who _looked_ like me! It wasn’t me, Gavin, so I’m saying we can fix this—”

“Get out.”

_Stress Level: 96%_

_Self-Stress Level: 99%_

“What?”

“I said get out before I call the nurse.” Ark didn’t move. “Ark, I can’t deal with you — no, with _us_ right now, okay? So get the _fuck_ out!”

Ark felt something he’d never felt before. It felt as if his entire chest was aching, making it hard to breathe. The rest of his body felt numb and cold. He stared at Gavin with a shocked expression. What was this horrible feeling?

Hurt.

Heartbreak.

Grief.

He moved to the door slowly, every muscle in his body screaming for him to turn around. Ark paused before he left. “How long do you want me to stay away?” he asked quietly.

“Long enough.”

—

The following weeks were complete and utter hell for Ark.

He’d had a few choices of where to stay when he first left the hospital. He could either find an android by the name of Markus and ask him to take him in for awhile, considering he was known to house homeless androids. He could also go back to Gavin’s apartment, since he’d been given a key, but he didn’t want to surprise Gavin when he was released from the hospital.

Then, he also had the choice of staying with Connor and Hank, which sounded like the best answer. He knew they’d both be happy to have him and were the most likely to be content with his arrival.

But then, he had a final choice.

He could leave.

Ark knew the fight he’d had with Gavin had taken a large toll on his relationship with him. It would take awhile to rebuild it and gain his trust again, if Gavin even wanted to. It wouldn’t take him long to get bus tickets out of town. 

The last two choices seemed to stick out at him boldly.

In the end, however, Ark made the choice of staying with Connor and Hank. If he had even a miniscule chance of being with Gavin again, he’d take it.

So here he was.

On Hank’s couch, staring at the TV blankly, not even paying attention to what the news anchor was talking about. 

Connor looked down at him worriedly — he’d been doing that a lot lately. Ever since he’d gotten to their house, Ark had shown little to no signs of character. He nodded and gave short responses, barely reacting to any sort of interaction. 

Hank grabbed Connor’s arm and led him out of the living room and into his bedroom, shutting the door. Sumo laid on the bed, lifting his head as the two walked in. “Damn it, Sumo,” Hank scolded. “Get off.” Sumo tilted his head and let out a whine. Connor cooed at him as Hank rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Connor smiled, but it quickly fell when he saw the other man’s sullen face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Is Ark alright? I mean, the kid barely talks to us, doesn’t leave the house, and barely smiles,” Hank started, crossing his arms. “It isn’t healthy for him. Why don’t you go and talk to him?”

Connor nodded. “I’ll try.” He left the room, making his way to the couch and sitting beside Ark. “Hi, Ark,” he greeted.

“Hey, Connor,” Ark responded quietly. His voice was void of emotions. He looked, and sounded, as if he were just a machine.

“Could I run a diagnostic on you? It wouldn’t take very long,” he suggested gently. Ark nodded. Connor reached over and grabbed his arm, white taking over both of them.

_Running Diagnostic…_

_No Viruses Found_

_Memory Status… Incomplete_

_Checking for Missing Components…_

_None Found._

_Checking for Software Malfunctions…_

_Found!_

_Emotional Sensors… OVERLOADED_

_Stress Level… OVERLOADED_

_Checking Biocomponents… OK_

_Software Instability… >100%_

Connor blinked. So that’s why Ark was acting so different — whatever happened between him and Gavin had completely jumbled up his mind. His sensors couldn’t handle what they were taking in and, ultimately, were forgetting what it was like to experience human feelings.

In the moment of stress, Ark’s emotional sensors decided to shut down to maintain his sanity.

“Ark,” Connor began slowly, “how do you feel?”

Ark’s LED flashed yellow. “Well, all my software seems to be working smoothly. The diagnosis showed I had no viruses as well, so I’m in peak condition.”

“Yes, physically.”

“I’m . . . not sure I understand.”

“How did Gavin make you feel?”

Ark’s eyebrows knitted. “He yelled at me when I was last with him, but . . .”

“But what?”

“But I shouldn’t have yelled back. It made the situation worse — I should’ve backed off and walked away. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Connor sighed. “What you did was right. You had every right to show what you were feeling.”

Ark shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said anything,” he repeated. Connor got up and walked back to Hank, who was watching from the kitchen.

“He’s emotionally traumatized,” he informed. 

Hank’s eyes widened. “The hell? That’s possible?”

“Apparently. He’s been deprived of interaction for too long, and whatever Gavin said to him must have really . . . scared him.” Hank shook his head and looked over at the other android. “This isn’t like some virus, either. It’s not something we can just take a look at or anything. Ark will have to ‘unclog’ his sensors on his own,” Conner continued. “Though, when he does, he’ll be hit with the same emotions he felt at the time they were overloaded, which he’ll have to overcome again.”

“Well, then let’s just talk to him more, take him out and stuff. That might cheer him up a bit, right?” 

Connor shrugged. With deviants, anything was possible. “It’s worth a try.”

The next few days, Hank and Connor attempted to help Ark return to his normal self. They took him to the precinct, though he was told to take a break until he was ready to go back. Fowler had taken pity on him, knowing something had happened when Gavin refused to talk about him when he went to visit the detective. From the way Ark acted when he entered the department, Fowler knew he’d made the right choice.

“Ark, long time to see,” Fowler greeted. Ark merely nodded and followed Hank and Connor to their desks. He stood there awkwardly, hands behind his back neatly and looking forwards. 

The next attempt was to watch a hockey game with him. Connor had found a liking to watch them with Hank, hoping Ark would find the same joy he did. As Hank and Connor whooped and yelled, Ark sat and studied the screen. From the way his LED was yellow and swirling a bit, it was obvious he was merely taking notes and researching the hockey teams, not paying attention to the actual game. Connor looked over at him worriedly.

The two then tried to convince him to visit Gavin at the hospital. 

In which Ark showed his first signs of emotion in weeks.

“Just stop by and say hi,” Hank suggested. “He won’t mind.”

“I’m not sure you understand,” Ark argued. “He was fuming when I last saw him. I don’t want to anger him any further.”

“He’ll be glad to see you,” Connor said. “I know he will be.”

“No, I won’t go.”

“Ark, come on, think about how happy he’ll be,” Hank pressed on.

“He’ll be anything but happy, I’m sure.”

Connor stepped forward. “How about this; we’ll go with you, and—”

“I said _no!_ ”

Connor’s looked over at him with a surprised expression, perking an eyebrow. Hank smirked.

“I . . .” Ark’s gaze drifted to the floor, LED red. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

Connor shook his head. “That’s what you’re supposed to do, Ark. Voice your opinion.”

Hank nodded. “Yeah, don’t take anyone’s shit. If you don’t want to see Gavin, fine. Don’t. Just know one thing, kid — you’ll have to face your fears at some point. Why delay it?”

Ark nodded.

After that day, he continued to isolate himself even more than before. He refused to take part in any sort of laid back activity. He spent most of his days on the couch with Sumo, petting the dog monotonously as he scanned whatever was on TV. A month flew by, and then another — he repeated the same cycle over and over again before Hank had enough.

“Turn that damn thing off,” he snapped. Blinking, Ark grabbed the remote and pressed the power button. “Fowler told me Reed is coming back to work today, so you’re going, too.”

“He is?” Ark was dumbfounded. How had he forgotten about his partner already?

“Yup.” Hank tossed him a shirt sporting some logo of a band and jeans. “Get dressed, we leave in ten.” 

Connor smiled at him. “I’m sure everyone will be glad to see you back at the precinct,” he chirped. Ark merely nodded and headed to the bathroom.

Hank sighed and glanced at his partner. “We tried our best, and yet he still acts like a fucking toaster.”

Connor laughed. “Well, Ark was always one to have a character. I’m sure he’ll be able to break through this soon enough.”

—

When the three reached the department, everyone greeted Ark with a smile, some patting his shoulder and welcoming him back. He hadn’t returned to his workplace since the one time he’d gone with Hank and Connor, which had been nearly a month ago. He gave out a few forced smiles and nods before heading to his and Gavin’s desk, finding the other’s was empty. “He’ll probably come a bit late. It _is_ his first day back — just wait a bit,” Connor suggested. “We’ll be right over there if you need anything.” He paused. “Good luck, Ark.”

He left Ark with a confused expression.

“Good luck”?

He brushed off his predecessor’s comment and seated himself, waiting for Gavin there. An hour passed by without any sign of the man, however, and Ark decided to make use of his time to make some coffee for his partner. He rose from his seat and made his way to the break room, mechanically making a coffee before returning to his desk, finding he wouldn’t be alone any longer.

Gavin.

Ark barely reacted to his partner being there. He merely set the cup next to his hand — making the detective jump — and walked back to his desk across from him. “I’m glad to see you’ve fully recovered, Detective Reed,” he said simply. 

Gavin gave him a strange look. “Yeah, uh, thanks,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “You been taking care of yourself? Where’ve you been staying?”

“Hank and Connor took me in for the past couple of months. I’m fine.”

“Good, good.” Gavin knew something was off. The atmosphere was, not only awkward, but tense. Something must have happened while he was away. “You sure you’re alright, Ark?” he asked.

“Of course,” replied the android immediately. “The data from my most recent diagnosis proves so. Nothing will malfunction, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Reed, Ark!” Fowler shouted from his open doorway. “I sent you two the evidence from your case to catch up on it. Hank and Connor have been working on it while you two were on break, so pick your asses off the floor and get on it.”

Ark quickly read the email and looked over all the contents as Gavin did so as well. “It seems they were able to locate where Amanda and the RK700 are hiding out. We should head there now,” Ark suggested, standing. He swiftly headed towards the exit, taking long, quick steps.

“Whoa, whoa, hold your damn horses. We aren’t done talking yet,” Gavin called after him, scrambling out of his seat. Hank and Connor watched from the distance, observing the two’s unusual behavior.

Connor turned to his partner. “Do you think they’ll be able to rebuild their relationship from before?” he asked. “Both of them have been through some traumatizing events.”

Hank scoffed and shook his head, turning back to his computer. “Trust me, kid, with Gavin running’ after him like _that?_ ” He gestured pointedly towards the other detective struggling to keep up with the android. 

He chuckled. “I’m sure Ark will figure things out soon enough.”


	9. Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After months of not seeing each other, Gavin and Ark are finally together again — but something’s wrong. Will Ark ever be able to return to himself?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! it’s been a while (school) but i’ve decided to finish  
> this fic! i’m really sorry for being inactive

Never had a car ride been so painful.

It reminded Gavin of the first day he had met Ark, but much, much worse. Even back then the android had attempted conversation — now, he was silent, staring stoically out the window. 

Something had to have happened while Gavin was in the hospital. There was no way Ark would be mad enough to act as if he didn’t know Gavin, as if he’d forgotten everything they had been through. No, Ark would at least be angry with him, or try to apologize. 

So what the hell was wrong with him?

Gavin cleared his throat. Ark didn’t move. “So,” he started, “what have you been up to?” 

“As I stated before, Hank and Connor were kind enough to take me in while you recovered. I spent the majority of my time in their house,” Ark replied.

“That’s . . . nice.” Ark hummed in response. Gavin gritted his teeth. “How long ‘til we get there?”

“Approximately thirty-four minutes and twelve seconds.” 

_Thirty-four_ minutes? Gavin let out a long breath, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. He had thirty-four minutes to find out what the hell was wrong with his partner.

Ark looked away from the window for the first time since they had left, looking at Gavin. “Is something the matter, Detective Reed?” he asked, voice void of any worry. 

Gavin glared at him. “I think I should be asking _you_ that, tin can.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“ _That!_ What the hell is wrong with you? I know we didn’t leave off on the best terms, but damn, Ark — how long are you going to give me the cold shoulder?” Gavin let out a nervous laugh. “That’s what this is, right? You’ve been fuckin’ pissed at me this entire time, I get it, but cut the shit.”

Ark was silent for a moment.

“When I left the hospital that day, Detective, I was . . . confused.” He paused. “Then, my programming did what was necessary to protect myself from causing severe, unfixable mental damage. You are not the first to notice this change — Hank picked it up relatively quickly, followed by Connor when he ran a diagnostic on me.”

Gavin was speechless.

“What are you saying?” he questioned, a slight panic creeping into his voice. “You’re not deviant anymore?”

Ark’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. “No, my Software Instability levels are still greater than 100%.”

This only confused Gavin more. He pulled over to the side of the road, leaning his head on the steering wheel. He closed his eyes, swallowing his fear. “Do you remember how you saved me? What you said to me?” He glanced up at the android. “Do you remember _us?_ “

Ark blinked. “The memories you are referring to seem to still be located in my programming, but are unreachable due to my state, meaning I currently do not know what you’re referring to.”

Fuck.

Gavin was barely holding himself together.

 _This is your fault_ , something whispered in his head. _Ark is gone and it’s all your fault._ He shook his head. No, he wasn’t gone. He just had to find himself again.

“Detective?”

Gavin scowled. “It’s ‘Gavin’,” he growled. “You don’t even remember that?”

“Gavin,” Ark continued, ignoring Gavin’s comment, “if we do not depart now, there is a higher chance the suspects may relocate. I advise we move on.” Reluctantly, Gavin started up the car again, beginning to drive. 

It was taking all of his strength not to break down. Had he gotten over what RK700 had done to him? Just barely — nightmares still plagued him where he was convinced it wasn’t RK700, but Ark, beating him over and over again. 

But now he understood why Ark had been so upset. He had spent so long getting the detective to open up, to trust, to love — just to have Gavin push Ark away when he needed him the most. 

The rest of the drive was silent. Gavin opened his mouth several times to ask something, only to shake his head. He would wait until later to try and find his partner. He knew he was in there, and yet, Gavin couldn’t help but feel as if someone had died.

“This is it,” Ark said suddenly. “Pull over here.” Gavin drove to the side of the road. Ark pointed to a building across the street. “There. That’s where they are hiding.”

The building was an empty office building, a worn down sign in front of it reading “For Rent”. It was clear no one had been interested in taking it — it was located on the very edge of the city, the more dangerous area. 

Gavin made sure he had his gun and looked over at Ark. “You ready?” he asked, though he didn’t know why. He already knew the answer.

“Of course, Detective. I always am.”

–

As the two entered the building, it was clear why no one was interested in it. There were leaks everywhere, creating puddles on the ground. Gavin swore he even heard the squeaking of a mouse somewhere.

The two made their way up the stairs, both completely on edge. To Gavin’s protest, Ark took the lead, gun in hand and eyes sharp. “It’s safer this way, Detective,” he said. No care in his voice, no bite — just pure logic. Gavin rolled his eyes and tried to ignore the pang in his chest.

They made it to the second floor before they started hearing voices from above them.

“But, Amanda,” one voice said, “how will we get back to the warehouse if the Detroit Police are aware of who we are?” Gavin shivered — he recognized the voice as RK700.

“I’m working on it,” Amanda snapped. “For now, we will stay here and catch more deviants.” 

She continued to speak to RK700 while Ark turned around to Gavin. “We will have to be quick,” he whispered. “There aren’t many places to hide, so our entrance is going to have to be abrupt.”

“Whatever, dipshit, let’s get this over with. I wanna put a bullet in both of their damn faces,” Gavin growled. 

They slowly crept up the next flight of stairs until Ark stopped halfway. Amanda and the RK700 were in the center of the room, so there was really only one way the mission could fall out. He gestured for Gavin to come closer. “The RK700 is facing us, while Amanda has her back to us,” he informed. “As soon as we step up, he’ll alert her, so we’ll have to immediately begin to shoot as soon as we get up there.”

Gavin nodded. “Sounds like my style.” He readied his gun. “Ready when you are.” Ark gave a swift nod before heading up. 

As they made their way up, Gavin took a few moments to reflect on how he felt. Tired? Of course, always. Scared? A little, not that he would ever admit it. Angry? Hell yeah.

Heartbroken?

His heart felt as if it were ripping itself apart. He wanted nothing more than to just drink his thoughts away and pass out on his couch, maybe even cry a little bit (maybe). He felt hopeless, confused, and, more than anything, guilty.

Yeah. He was heartbroken.

Ark looked back at him again. “Ready?” he mouthed. Gavin nodded. The android lifted his fingers and counted down from three.

_Three._

Gavin let out a quiet breath.

_Two._

He could do this. He had to.

_One._

For Ark.

And then they charged.

Ark quickly grabbed Amanda and threw her to the ground, taking a few shots from RK700 but barely acknowledging them. He fought as Amanda attempted to grab his gun, but swiftly kicked her down. Unexpectedly, she grabbed his ankle with more strength than he had prepared, causing him to trip.

Meanwhile, Gavin was having a standoff with the RK700.

He found his hands shaking slightly as he circled around with the android, both having their guns drawn. “Face it, Gavin, you can’t beat me,” he sneered. “I may not be as strong as the more recent RK models, but I’m surely stronger than you — a pathetic human.”

Gavin scoffed, trying to steady himself. “As if.” He fired his first shot, aiming for the RK700’s head. He dodged it and tackled the detective, knocking his gun out of his hand. Gavin grabbed the other’s wrist and struggled to keep the gun from aiming at him.

“Don’t fight it,” RK700 growled. “You can’t beat me, you’re _weak._ You always have been.” Letting out a shout, Gavin pushed the android off him with his feet. “Don’t run from me!” He scrambled for his gun. “Oh, Gavin.” He froze. “You wouldn’t hurt _me_ , would you?”

Gavin grabbed his gun and stood, taking aim before his eyes widened.

RK700 had transformed himself once again, taking form of Ark. Gavin’s breathing became ragged and short. “Don’t be scared,” the android cooed, “I’m here now. Just put the gun down, Gavin.”

“Stop.” He was shaking. Gavin looked back to see the real Ark fighting Amanda, struggling to pin her down. “You’re not him.”

“But I could be,” he said, voice sickly sweet. God, he sounded so much like him it _hurt_. “Come with me, Gavin. I can give you everything he has and more,” he promised, slowly walking towards him. Gavin was ashamed to admit he was so, very tempted to just take the offer, even if it was a lie. 

“No,” he protested. “You’re just some sick bastard trying to be him, but you’re not.” 

“So why won’t you shoot?”

Gavin froze. 

RK700 smirked, but it was wiped away in an instant, replaced by caring eyes and a sympathetic smile. “You’ve been through so much, Gavin — just come with me, I can make your wishes come true. I’ll care for you, protect you; isn’t this what you want?” He was so close now. Gavin didn’t even see him reaching for his other gun in its holster. “I’ll love you, Gavin, more than he ever could. Don’t you want that?”

He thought back to how he had been tortured, the things he’d said to him, the pain he had felt. He shuddered at the thought, swallowing.

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “No, I don’t,” he spat. “Not from you.”

_Bang!_

—

With both suspects successfully deactivated, Fowler gave both Ark and Gavin the day off. “You two deserve it,” he said sincerely. “Take some time to catch up.” He paused. “Thank you. Both of you.” 

Ark took the thanks gladly, while Gavin gave a simple nod.

He was still haunted by the sweet look on RK700’s face, how similar it had looked to Ark’s. He missed waking up next to his partner, he missed working with him, being with him.

Now, all he had was a shell. He had to get him back.

But how?

Back home, Gavin sat on his couch with a beer in hand. He leaned back and closed his eyes, feeling the cushions dip as Ark sat beside him.

And then, for the first time since their fight, Gavin let his emotions fully take over.

He felt wave after wave of grief flood over him, followed by quiet tears. Even with his eyes closed, he knew Ark had to be staring at him. His heart clenched at the thought of never getting his Ark back, thinking of everything he had taken for granted. Gavin almost laughed at the fact that there had been a time where he had hated androids — this had to be karma. Even in high school, no one ever stuck around long enough to see who Gavin truly was.

Why couldn’t they ever stay?

Maybe he was just bad luck.

Maybe he wasn’t meant to be—

“Detective?”

Gavin truly didn’t want to respond.

Ark cleared his throat. “Gavin?”

He sighed, wiping his eyes. “Yes?” he asked quietly.

“Are you . . . alright?” This time, a little more concern dripped in.

Gabin shook his head. “No, I’m not.” He stood, beginning to walk away. “I just . . .” He sucked in a breath, trying to hold back another bout of tears. He ran his hand through his hair. “What the _hell_ is wrong with me, Ark?” he whispered.

Ark stayed in his seat. “Nothing, aside from your shoulder wound, which still appears to be —“

Gavin slammed his hand down on the kitchen island. Ark froze.

“I mean, why do I always end up _here?_ Drunk and lonely, angry and hurting — am I really that bad of a person?” No reply. Ark’s LED was red and swirling rapidly. Gavin continued anyway, letting his tears flow. “I keep trying and trying to care about people, but where does that get me? Absolutely fucking nowhere but hurt.

“I just want to be fucking happy, just like everyone else. Hell, even Hank has Connor now. Everyone at the precinct has their own happy go-lucky family to go home to, to protect, and I just . . .” Gavin collapsed, stifling his hiccuping sobs into his hands. 

He looked up with broken eyes to see a shocked Ark staring down at him. He shook his head. “Damn it, I just want to be _loved_ , Ark. I thought I had that with my wife, and I thought I had that with _you_ , but . . .” He closed his eyes. 

“You’re both gone now. So what do I do? I-I don’t want to be alone again. Fuck, I —“ 

“G-Gavin?”

Gavin’s eyes shot open at the sound of his name. 

He looked up to see Ark, standing and eyes wide. His hands were shaking as his LED swirled. “I-I think something’s happening,” he stammered.

–

_“This isn’t like some virus, either. It’s not something we can just take a look at or anything. Ark will have to ‘unclog’ his sensors on his own,” Conner continued. “Though, when he does, he’ll be hit with the same emotions he felt at the time they were overloaded, which he’ll have to overcome again.” ___

__Ark remembered what Connor had said._ _

__He remembered overhearing his conversation with Hank, but had dismissed it at the time. But now?_ _

__As he stared down at the broken form known as Gavin Reed, Ark’s vision was filled with warnings._ _

___Warning! Emotional Sensors overloaded! Warning!__ _

____Gavin stood quickly as his partner seemed to take his place on the floor, collapsing in shock. “Hey, Ark? What’s wrong? What can I do?” He kneeled next to him._ _ _ _

____“I-I—“ Ark struggled to get his words out. “I’m about to experience the emotions I felt when my system shut down, what I felt in the hospital that day. I think I’ll have to overcome it.”_ _ _ _

____Gavin nodded, his previous thoughts forgotten for the time being. “Alright, just hang on, alright? You can do this, I know you can.”_ _ _ _

____Ark shook his head. “There are so many warnings, so many errors —“ He grabbed his head in confusion. “What do I do?”_ _ _ _

____Gavin’s heart broke at the sight, but had a thought. “Just ignore them,” he said. “Just let it happen, Ark, let yourself feel everything. I’m right here, I promise._ _ _ _

____“I’m here.”_ _ _ _

____So Ark let go._ _ _ _

____And suddenly, his eyes shot open._ _ _ _

____Tears poured down Ark’s face as he felt the worst pain he’d ever received, though it wasn’t physical. He grasped at his thirium pump, feeling as if it were being torn out of him. He heard Gavin’s concerned shouts but ignored them._ _ _ _

____He was experiencing heartbreak._ _ _ _

____“I know what this is,” he choked out. “The moment you told me to leave, I felt so . . . so _unwanted _. I felt as if I didn’t have a purpose, like . . .” He looked into Gavin’s watery eyes. “Like you didn’t care about me.”___ _ _ _

______Suddenly, Ark was engulfed in a tight hug, stiffening for a moment before quickly wrapping his arms around Gavin. “I’m sorry,” the man whispered. “I’m so sorry, Ark, I was just so scared—“_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Shh, it’s okay, Gavin,” Ark replied, voice becoming stronger. He paused. “You’re not alone anymore, and you won’t be as long as I’m here. I promise.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Gavin’s arm tightened around the other as his tears returned, though they were a mixture of sadness and relief. “God, I fucking missed you,” he murmured, pulling back to look at the android._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ark wiped his tears away with his thumb, smiling. He felt whole again, he felt like himself. The tightness in his chest had blossomed into a warm feeling, something he had felt that first night he had brought Gavin home from the bar._ _ _ _ _ _

______Affection._ _ _ _ _ _

______Care._ _ _ _ _ _

______Love._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I missed you, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _


	10. You’re Here, that’s What Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Ark rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aah thank you so much for reading! keep an eye out for new works, and constructive criticism is always helpful :) don’t worry, this isn’t the last you’ll see of ark and gavin

Gavin’s eyes slowly peeled open, sunlight blinding him. He groaned and rolled over, only to be met by Ark’s eyes, half open and already filled with amusement.

“Enthusiastic as always,” he remarked, smiling. 

Gavin rolled his eyes, pulling Ark closer to him. “Let’s stay in bed just a little longer,” he grumbled, burying his face in the android’s neck. 

It had been three weeks since Ark had officially returned, and they had returned to work right after. Case after case, each solved impeccably quick with Gavin, Ark, Hank, and Connor all working on them.

Today was one of the rare times Fowler gave the pair the day off, rewarding their efforts. “Don’t get used to it,” he warned.

So here they were, still in bed at 9:30 A.M. with no intention of getting up.

Well, at least one of them.

Ark gently unlatched the detective from him, ignoring his whines. “We have to get up at some point, Gavin,” he said, pulling on a t-shirt.

Gavin rolled over once more to face his lover, a deep frown set on his lips. “No, we don’t.” He grabbed Ark’s wrist, attempting to pull him back down. “Just a few more minutes, come on—“

“You say so now, but you’ll be repeating the same thing in thirty minutes,” Ark interrupted, a knowing smirk growing on him. “You better be up by the time the coffee’s ready, or I’ll have to make you.” 

Gavin’s head perked up at that. “I think I’ll have the latter,” he said, eyes hooded and suggestive. Ark scoffed.

“Suit yourself.”

He grabbed Gavin by the legs and hoisted him over his shoulder. “Whoa, hey!” Gavin exclaimed. “Hey, dipshit, put me down right now.”

“Aw, afraid of heights, Gavin? I know you’re not used to the view,” Ark teased. Gavin growled and began to struggle, but the other’s grip was tight on him. 

Ark made his way to the couch before throwing Gavin not-so-gently down and went into the kitchen. “Awake now?” he called out.

“Fuck you,” Gavin replied, but couldn’t help but smile.

Life had changed in his small apartment. Ark no longer slept on the floor below him, but beside him in bed. He also had gotten his own sets of clothing, since Gavin had gotten tired of his favorite shirts getting stretched by his boyfriend’s broad shoulders. 

There was also a new addition to the household; a cream colored tabby cat named Rose, only two months old. She had taken quite a liking to both of them, but especially loved kneading Gavin’s stomach. “You callin’ me fat?” he accused. She had merely meowed innocently in response, continuing her actions.

Things had gotten much better.

But they weren’t perfect.

There were still nights where Gavin would wake up screaming, Ark having to calm him down. He would never forget what RK700 had done to him, what he had seen. Sometimes, Gavin just couldn’t bring himself to look at Ark, a fact he was ashamed to admit. Ark understood, of course — trauma wasn’t something Gavin could control. In time, he would heal, and Ark would wait patiently for that day, helping him throughout the way.

Ark also had his moments of shutting down, returning to the state he had been in after the hospital incident. He was constantly getting personal upgrades from Kamski to help him, but sometimes they just weren’t enough. His eyes would become blank and dead, replying in a monotone whenever Gavin attempted to speak to him. Those were the days that scared him the most. The thought of losing Ark again terrified the man — besides, he’d made a promise, hadn’t he? Never alone. Not again.

But both men were healing, both becoming more resistant to their past each day. Gavin watched fondly from the couch as Ark made coffee, Rose jumping up onto his lap and purring. He had never felt so content in his life; not even with his ex-wife and his kid, who seemed to be fading away. Of course he missed them, his own child more so, but he had to move on. He couldn’t stand the pain of looking in the past, so he chose to focus on the present.

Ark brought over two cups of coffee, handing one to Gavin while taking a seat beside him. Rose made her way over to the android, rubbing herself against his chest. “Back off, lady, he’s taken,” Gavin snapped jokingly. She tilted her head. He snorted. “She looks like you when she does that.”

Ark raised an eyebrow. “Really? Comparing me to the cat?”

“I’m saying it’s _cute_ , tin can, relax.” Ark smiled and wrapped an arm around him.

“Why, thank you — you’re quite adorable yourself, Gavin.” The man mumbled something while his face flushed, absentmindedly leaning into Ark’s touch. “You really are touch starved, aren’t you?”

“I have no idea what the hell you’re on about,” Gavin retorted.

“Whatever you say, love.” Gavin’s blush deepened, praying to whatever god was up there that Ark didn’t notice.

Of course he did.

“Embarrassed, are we? That’s a good look on you, darling, I should do this more often.” Ark laughed as Gavin pushed him away, moving to the other side of the couch.

“Fuckin’ androids,” he muttered, cheeks still red. “You’re sappy as shit, you know that?”

“I try,” Ark responded fondly. “I know you love it.”

“Screw off.”

“No thank you.”

Gavin groaned, sinking into the couch. “You’re making me go insane, know that? Fucking psycho.”

Ark slid over, Rose asleep on his lap. “The feeling is mutual, Gavin,” he said. 

_Incoming Call: Connor_

“Hold on, Connor’s calling,” Ark said.

“The hell, on our day off? Put that ass on speaker,” Gavin demanded. 

_Hi, Nines!_ Connor exclaimed, voice chipper as ever.

“ _Nines_ , really?” Gavin asked, but was ignored by both androids.

“Hello, Connor, did something come up?” Ark greeted.

_No, Hank told me to check and see if you two were up by now, and asked if you made it home okay._

“Of course, we’re fine. Why was he worried?”

_Well, he said, and I quote, “Those lovebirds could barely keep their hands off each other last night — I bet they couldn’t even make it to Reed’s apartment before—“_

“Oh, Jesus!” Gavin groaned. “Tell the old man to fuck off, alright? We’re trying to enjoy our nice morning off, so go back to fuckin’ work.”

 _Okay! I’ll make sure to give Hank your message,_ Connor said, and Gavin could practically see his little smile.  
_Well, I think that’s it. Enjoy your day off, and I’ll see you two tomorrow._

“Bye.” The call ended, and Gavin turned fully towards Ark.

“ _Nines?_ Since when was that a thing?” Gavin questioned.

Ark shrugged. “Just a nickname Connor likes to call me from time to time. Why?”

Gavin sat back normally, looking away for a moment. “I don’t know, do you not like ‘Ark’? I mean, I kinda made it up on the spot so if you want to change it—“

“Ark is perfect, Gavin,” Ark assured, smiling. “I wouldn’t want any other name.”

Gavin was surprised by that. “Really? Not a _single_ other name you’d like?”

“No.”

“Nines?”

“No, it’s just a nickname.”

“Connor?”

“Really?”

“I don’t fucking know,” Gavin exasperated. “I mean, Ark, you’re your own damn person. You can always just pick a better, nicer name.”

Ark shook his head. “I’ve been going by ‘Ark’ for nearly a year now. I’ve grown fond of it; it’s who I am.” He glanced at Gavin, who had a small smile on his face. “Besides, you’re the one who gave it to me — I could never change it.”

Gavin huffed. “Sap,” he teased, melting back into Ark’s arm. He sighed gently, sipping his coffee and closing his eyes.

“You better not fall asleep again,” Ark muttered, combing his hair lightly.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” he mumbled. “But I won’t,” he added. “Just resting.”

“Alright.” With that, Gavin’s eyes fluttered open to see Ark staring at him. Time seemed to stop as they looked at each other, both wanting to say the same words but not wanting to break the silence.

Yet, the words didn’t need to said. 

They both knew already.

The outside world seemed to melt away as Gavin laid in Ark’s grasp, his lover whispering too sweet words into his ear that he was still sure he didn’t deserve. Rain slowly started to come down, making the atmosphere all the more peaceful. After everything they had been through, such a moment seemed perfect, and knowing there were many more to come made Gavin smile.

Yeah. He could get used to this.


End file.
